36 replies to this topic

[1380MEDlee]

Yet another Car manufacturer looks as though it is going to the wall.

[[email protected]]

Far from going to the wall, they have been producing cars over 3 shifts, 7 days a week for several years. If only all of the manufacturers could boast that, several are on long periods of complete shutdown.

[Dan]

I have to agree with Simon, all they are doing is reducing the staffing and production back to the level the factory was designed for. They originally worked a 5 day week there with line maintenance at weekends, then there was a huge increase in demand mainly due to the popularity of the convertible. So they stepped up to 7 days and incresed the staffing but it was only ever meant as a temporary step which is why the new staff were all agency workers. When I first went there around spring of 2005 they were still only working a 5 day week. I understand the feelings of the workers who have been laid off and agree that MINI have been very cruel by only giving the shift an hour notice period but you can't really expect agency work to be permanant can you?

[Ethel]

I suppose, technically, they aren't laid off, at least not by BMW as they were employed by someone else. I can't imagine BMW were in a position to terminate the contract with the agency at an hour's notice.

[998dave]

I suppose, technically, they aren't laid off, at least not by BMW as they were employed by someone else. I can't imagine BMW were in a position to terminate the contract with the agency at an hour's notice.

I'd be amazed if the staff didn't get any unnofficial notice, filtering down to them, there are similar contracts at Ford.

Ford can give immediate notice to my agency, but as I'm permanent at the agency they have to give me two months even if I just sit on my bum all that time. Contractors to the agency get no notice, but they get paid a bit more for the risk, (and to cover no pension etc). If people take the job and the 'risk' money they shouldn't complain when the risk comes round.

[Joloke08]

i know there are people who dont like the Bini but i really feel for the workers,the economy is soo fragile at present theres no such thing as a secure job

I just hope they manage to find employment somewhere else and that the plant survives.
I hope the Mini name carries on whoever owns it and that nobody else looses their jobs.
My heart really goes out to them.

Huggz
Jodie

[1380MEDlee]

As you have all read and have seen for your selves on the news today the agency workers got 1 hour notice to state their positions were terminated at 5.30am, yes i know they are only tempory staff but they shouldnt have been treated the way they were!!!! especially when they have been there alot longer than that of some of the contract staff that kept their jobs.

The other staff who have contracts have all been amelgimated into the other 2 shifts that are still running days/nights Red/Blue shifts running monday to friday.

I wish them all good luck in finding jobs as i knew alot of them personaly as i too did work there untill today before i was told about my job after 8 years had finished at plant Oxford as i work for a JIT supplier and am still in limbo weather i too have got a job after tomorrow.. who knows??

Its been abad day for all and a *yellow human water* take really!!!!

I blame the IGNITE union for the handling and for keeping it all quite and not sharing it all with us??

All monies should be repaid back to the agency union members that paid them to represent them in which were all let down as it was totaly out of order they did absolute nothing to help sort out the weekend shift as it was Ignite that helped push the weekend shift out the door, as we had all been told it could have been possible shift changes running a Fri, Sat & Mon night instead of Sunday as its the sunday that paid the premium shift, so when you hear that in the meeting that we saw that took place this morning you would expect the angry scenes as you saw for your self??

The yellow shift was the most productive, and made less rejects RFT, what a complete mistake???

Again Bmw do it again like they did to Rover Longbridge workers back in 2000 which i also was effected by and all hopes and promisses that the New Mini was being built in Longbridge before Bmw then announced a few days later and moved the mini to Oxford which angered alot of workers including me as it was Longbridge born and bred and was Rover design car, just like the Rover 75 which was too a good quality model car.

[pcracker]

I wonder how many others have lost there jobs who work either supplying the car plants or distributing the cars for sale. You don't here about the 20 jobs lost here or the 50 there but I bet it adds up to a lot lot more than the headline figures for the factories.

I drive the trains that take the minis from Cowley for export, as well as the steel to Swindon for Honda and the Civics from Swindon for export. All that work has stopped for now and our company will be laying off more staff now.

What happens when it picks up and the skills have gone?

[sazal]

My dad works for chorus steel and is finding out in the next week whether or not he still has his job.

I think every company has been hit just as hard.

[taffy1967]

And just to top it all: -

http://www.bbc.co.uk...dog_16_02_2009/

[The_Mistro]

at present theres no such thing as a secure job

seconded!

well, unless your a financial correspondednt for the news channels that is!

[nurseholliday]

As you have all read and have seen for your selves on the news today the agency workers got 1 hour notice to state their positions were terminated at 5.30am, yes i know they are only tempory staff but they shouldnt have been treated the way they were!!!! especially when they have been there alot longer than that of some of the contract staff that kept their jobs.

If you don't like how agency workers are dealt with, don't become an agency worker.

[Ethel]

As you have all read and have seen for your selves on the news today the agency workers got 1 hour notice to state their positions were terminated at 5.30am, yes i know they are only tempory staff but they shouldnt have been treated the way they were!!!! especially when they have been there alot longer than that of some of the contract staff that kept their jobs.

If you don't like how agency workers are dealt with, don't become an agency worker.

Do you think everyone can be that choosy, or would you prefer they just sign on if they can't find a job that offers decent terms of employment?

[998dave]

In the news today it said the workers threw eggs at the people telling them they'd lost their jobs.

Now to plan far enough ahead to have raw eggs to hand would suggest more notice then everyone's saying they had?

They don't grow on trees you know...



Not helping I know, and I feel sorry for them, but it's the reason auto-makers hire agency workers, for downturns like this, to be able to shift their costs and try to remain solvent.

Other option is hire everyone fulltime, have to idle or layoff workers, pay loads and go bust everytime there's an issue, driving the automakers under and destroying the industry, (British Leyland anyone)?

Dave

[midlands_madman]

agency workers have no rights when it comes to the termination of their contract. i was laid off from cowley in the summer, with half a days notice. this is how the agencies work, they can and do terminate your contract at the drop of a hat, wheather you have been there 3 days or 5 years, but if you want to leave them...a decent notice is needed. they all signed a contract that said they agreed to this. yes it is a shame, a pity, but this is how the country works at this present time.

edit: it is suspected that decoma (another place i worked while working for cowley) will close to near nothing, they supply bmw mini bumpers. gone from 5 to 4 days week now i think, on a weeks leave without pay unless its holiday time. they do honda bumpers too, but bmw give them most their work

Edited by midlands_madman, 17 February 2009 - 02:02 PM.