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PM quizzed over BMW car jobs


Prime Minister Gordon Brown today pledged support for Oxford’s sacked BMW agency workers — but employees said his promises were “too little too late”.

Mr Brown said legislation was being brought in to provide additional protection for agency workers.

Earlier this month, 850 temporary workers at the Cowley plant were made redundant, with some staff being given just a week’s notice.

Mr Brown’s pledge came as it emerged there would be a weekend shift tomorrow and Sunday — despite weekend working being scrapped.

The work this weekend has been prompted by the launch of the new convertible model.

Simon Page, 43, from Starwort Path, Blackbird Leys, Oxford, who lost his job after four years as an agency worker, said: “New legislation was being talked about seven years ago, so when it does finally come it will be too little, too late for all the agency workers who have lost their jobs.

“When push comes to shove, the Government can push through legislation overnight when it wants to — this will be closing the stable door after the horse has bolted.”

Speaking at the new cancer centre at the Churchill Hospital in Headington, Mr Brown said: “We are talking to the European Union to give support to the car industry.

“In the case of the Mini, it is one of the great British exports. While there have been job losses, the car has a great future.”

Mr Brown said: “We are bringing in an agency workers’ bill that will give rights after 12 weeks and these rights will be extended.

“We are working our way through this.

“I regret any job loss and we are determined to create new job opportunities where they are available.

“The Mini is a good car and when the car market returns it will have a great future.”

When Mr Brown was asked if he could guarantee there would not be further job losses at the Mini plant in Cowley, the Prime Minister said: “That is a matter for the company.”

Agency workers at BMW’s Leipzig plant are entitled to a 90-day consultation period and European legislation, known as the Temporary Agency Workers Directive, has been repeatedly delayed — but could become law in the UK this year.

Oxford East MP Andrew Smith added: “Four weeks ago, the Government ann-ounced a £2.3bn package of support for the car industry and one part was access to European bank finance for investment projects in the car industry.”

Speaking about the news that the Mini plant would be operating this weekend, Curtis Williams, 47, who had worked at BMW through an agency for almost four years, said: “This is the first I’ve heard of it and it’s really downheartening.

“How can they launch a weekend shift like this when they are laying people off?

“They will be paying staff extra to do the work when people like me could have been working there — it’s disgusting.”

BMW spokesman Rebecca Baxter said: “Due to the change in the shift pattern and the subsequent training days this week, the plant needs to catch up with production of a small number of cars.

“This is an unusual situation that has come about due to the introduction of the new shift pattern.”

affrench@oxfordmail.co.uk



Your Say YourOxford

Zimmer, Oxon says...
8:26pm Fri 27 Feb 09

Every thing this Government does is in 'Hindsight'except of course getting us into a war that we shouldn't be involved in. They are devoid of ideas it really is time that they went. Like the question that was put to him Brown by a pensioner from Witney worried about her savings, he is sending her information about 'Benefits', Keh. If she has savings it is very likely that she will not be eligible for benefits!!!!!!!!!
Even the Governor of the Bank of England has said that allot of the financial situation we now find ourselves in was down to him Brown when he was Chancellor he would not listen Now we are in the sh*te he is blaming the world economy for ALL of our ills but Mervyn King was blaming him in a big way.

DanOxford, Oxford says...
9:40pm Fri 27 Feb 09

So what is Gordon going to 'get tough' on?

Force struggling companies to keep on TEMPORARY workers when they have no work for them? Pay them to stay at home? Get us, the taxpayer, to make up any shortfall they suffer from a shorter working week?

The UK has been FLOODED with foreign labour over the last decade, and NuLabour have rushed to assure the increasingly angry British public that it's all part of the plan that many of the Eastern Europeans will now be toddling off home now the economy's devastated, presumably having done quite well out of working in the UK and in most cases being able to send thousands of pounds home (thus not being spent on creating UK jobs)

Aside from the fact that most of the immigration was from outside the EU (thus restrictable) and that the British people were denied a referendum on the EU, and about allowing ANY EU resident the right to live here, and that many Eastern Europeans have decided they might as well sit out a recession here on better benfits than they would get back home, why should TEMPORARY workers be given any more rights?

Brown and his Nulabour cronies have destroyed our economy and undermined everything that made Britain Great, and is now seeking to whip up anger against BMW and a handful of bankers to divert the righteous anger felt by us all as taxpayers, workers, savers or just plain everyday working people trying to get by for ourselves and our families.

On the BBC footage from BMW they struggled to find any British workers that had been laid off. Mybe there were some, or maybe the foreign born TEMPORARY workers who were paid a fair rate by BMW in the 'good' times and were then laid off really do represent those who are now out of work.

Don't be fooled- first Tony Blair then Gordon Brown embraced the greedy bankers, failed to regulate them, created an artificial boom based on unsustainable house prices and irresponsibly lent credit, opened the UK up to unprecedented immigration, taxed you to the hilt and took away your liberties through Political Correctness, 'Health and Safety', 'Combating Terrorism' and the highest level of Police surveillance in the World.

It's the sheer bumbling arrogance of the man I detest- the top two voter concerns are immigration and EU powers, and yet these people, WHO WORK FOR US puch through their own agendas, ignoring the British people and treating us as idiots.

Sickasaparrot, oxford says...
9:24am Sat 28 Feb 09

How can BMW bring in a weekend shift when they are cutting permanent days by 4 and a half hours stand dwn on a Friday. As usual BMW do what they like with no regard for the staff they have got rid of. A kick in the teeth while they are down wouldn't you say!!
What the **** are the union doing about it? As usual nothing unless it involves members of their families!!!

jomtien, farringdon says...
9:47am Sat 28 Feb 09

the good old british worker looks to be suffering again! the immigrants from all over the world that have come here & made a **** good living out of this country ( and put NOTHING back in to our own economy) should look at it in a way that says (thankyou GB for keeping me & my family) in a way that i could never have dreampt of not that long ago ''but will now take the money from the hard working tax payer'' and stick 2 fingers up at us! i have a message for you all ''GO HOME'' if you dont like it,,,,......

Rankin7, Oxford says...
11:29am Sat 28 Feb 09

Who's the reporter? He only looks about 20.
I know Brown is finished and deserves no merit but even so, he is still PM.
I'm wondering if this reporter is the best Oxford Mail have or all they have.

Politiciansareliars, says...
2:08pm Sat 28 Feb 09

Dont believe a word he says.

dannyofoxford, oxford says...
6:10pm Sat 28 Feb 09

jomtien wrote:
the good old british worker looks to be suffering again! the immigrants from all over the world that have come here & made a **** good living out of this country ( and put NOTHING back in to our own economy) should look at it in a way that says (thankyou GB for keeping me & my family) in a way that i could never have dreampt of not that long ago ''but will now take the money from the hard working tax payer'' and stick 2 fingers up at us! i have a message for you all ''GO HOME'' if you dont like it,,,,......
oh shut up and go back to nazi germany!

dannyofoxford, oxford says...
6:13pm Sat 28 Feb 09

DanOxford wrote:
So what is Gordon going to 'get tough' on?

Force struggling companies to keep on TEMPORARY workers when they have no work for them? Pay them to stay at home? Get us, the taxpayer, to make up any shortfall they suffer from a shorter working week?

The UK has been FLOODED with foreign labour over the last decade, and NuLabour have rushed to assure the increasingly angry British public that it's all part of the plan that many of the Eastern Europeans will now be toddling off home now the economy's devastated, presumably having done quite well out of working in the UK and in most cases being able to send thousands of pounds home (thus not being spent on creating UK jobs)

Aside from the fact that most of the immigration was from outside the EU (thus restrictable) and that the British people were denied a referendum on the EU, and about allowing ANY EU resident the right to live here, and that many Eastern Europeans have decided they might as well sit out a recession here on better benfits than they would get back home, why should TEMPORARY workers be given any more rights?

Brown and his Nulabour cronies have destroyed our economy and undermined everything that made Britain Great, and is now seeking to whip up anger against BMW and a handful of bankers to divert the righteous anger felt by us all as taxpayers, workers, savers or just plain everyday working people trying to get by for ourselves and our families.

On the BBC footage from BMW they struggled to find any British workers that had been laid off. Mybe there were some, or maybe the foreign born TEMPORARY workers who were paid a fair rate by BMW in the 'good' times and were then laid off really do represent those who are now out of work.

Don't be fooled- first Tony Blair then Gordon Brown embraced the greedy bankers, failed to regulate them, created an artificial boom based on unsustainable house prices and irresponsibly lent credit, opened the UK up to unprecedented immigration, taxed you to the hilt and took away your liberties through Political Correctness, 'Health and Safety', 'Combating Terrorism' and the highest level of Police surveillance in the World.

It's the sheer bumbling arrogance of the man I detest- the top two voter concerns are immigration and EU powers, and yet these people, WHO WORK FOR US puch through their own agendas, ignoring the British people and treating us as idiots.
to long and boring just get to the point - blame labour for failings and outsiders for taking jobs !

DanOxford, Oxford says...
11:36pm Sat 28 Feb 09

dannyofoxford wrote:
DanOxford wrote: So what is Gordon going to 'get tough' on? Force struggling companies to keep on TEMPORARY workers when they have no work for them? Pay them to stay at home? Get us, the taxpayer, to make up any shortfall they suffer from a shorter working week? The UK has been FLOODED with foreign labour over the last decade, and NuLabour have rushed to assure the increasingly angry British public that it's all part of the plan that many of the Eastern Europeans will now be toddling off home now the economy's devastated, presumably having done quite well out of working in the UK and in most cases being able to send thousands of pounds home (thus not being spent on creating UK jobs) Aside from the fact that most of the immigration was from outside the EU (thus restrictable) and that the British people were denied a referendum on the EU, and about allowing ANY EU resident the right to live here, and that many Eastern Europeans have decided they might as well sit out a recession here on better benfits than they would get back home, why should TEMPORARY workers be given any more rights? Brown and his Nulabour cronies have destroyed our economy and undermined everything that made Britain Great, and is now seeking to whip up anger against BMW and a handful of bankers to divert the righteous anger felt by us all as taxpayers, workers, savers or just plain everyday working people trying to get by for ourselves and our families. On the BBC footage from BMW they struggled to find any British workers that had been laid off. Mybe there were some, or maybe the foreign born TEMPORARY workers who were paid a fair rate by BMW in the 'good' times and were then laid off really do represent those who are now out of work. Don't be fooled- first Tony Blair then Gordon Brown embraced the greedy bankers, failed to regulate them, created an artificial boom based on unsustainable house prices and irresponsibly lent credit, opened the UK up to unprecedented immigration, taxed you to the hilt and took away your liberties through Political Correctness, 'Health and Safety', 'Combating Terrorism' and the highest level of Police surveillance in the World. It's the sheer bumbling arrogance of the man I detest- the top two voter concerns are immigration and EU powers, and yet these people, WHO WORK FOR US puch through their own agendas, ignoring the British people and treating us as idiots.
to long and boring just get to the point - blame labour for failings and outsiders for taking jobs !
I did- I just explained it for the Hard of Understanding such as yourself who think that shouting 'Nazi!' 'Racist!' 'Holocaust!' or 'Hitler!' are substitutes for a rational, backed up argument, rather than a form of Leftie Tourettes Syndrome when faced with common sense founded on actual evidence...

dannyofoxford, oxford says...
1:54pm Sun 1 Mar 09

DanOxford wrote:
dannyofoxford wrote:
DanOxford wrote: So what is Gordon going to 'get tough' on? Force struggling companies to keep on TEMPORARY workers when they have no work for them? Pay them to stay at home? Get us, the taxpayer, to make up any shortfall they suffer from a shorter working week? The UK has been FLOODED with foreign labour over the last decade, and NuLabour have rushed to assure the increasingly angry British public that it's all part of the plan that many of the Eastern Europeans will now be toddling off home now the economy's devastated, presumably having done quite well out of working in the UK and in most cases being able to send thousands of pounds home (thus not being spent on creating UK jobs) Aside from the fact that most of the immigration was from outside the EU (thus restrictable) and that the British people were denied a referendum on the EU, and about allowing ANY EU resident the right to live here, and that many Eastern Europeans have decided they might as well sit out a recession here on better benfits than they would get back home, why should TEMPORARY workers be given any more rights? Brown and his Nulabour cronies have destroyed our economy and undermined everything that made Britain Great, and is now seeking to whip up anger against BMW and a handful of bankers to divert the righteous anger felt by us all as taxpayers, workers, savers or just plain everyday working people trying to get by for ourselves and our families. On the BBC footage from BMW they struggled to find any British workers that had been laid off. Mybe there were some, or maybe the foreign born TEMPORARY workers who were paid a fair rate by BMW in the 'good' times and were then laid off really do represent those who are now out of work. Don't be fooled- first Tony Blair then Gordon Brown embraced the greedy bankers, failed to regulate them, created an artificial boom based on unsustainable house prices and irresponsibly lent credit, opened the UK up to unprecedented immigration, taxed you to the hilt and took away your liberties through Political Correctness, 'Health and Safety', 'Combating Terrorism' and the highest level of Police surveillance in the World. It's the sheer bumbling arrogance of the man I detest- the top two voter concerns are immigration and EU powers, and yet these people, WHO WORK FOR US puch through their own agendas, ignoring the British people and treating us as idiots.
to long and boring just get to the point - blame labour for failings and outsiders for taking jobs !
I did- I just explained it for the Hard of Understanding such as yourself who think that shouting 'Nazi!' 'Racist!' 'Holocaust!' or 'Hitler!' are substitutes for a rational, backed up argument, rather than a form of Leftie Tourettes Syndrome when faced with common sense founded on actual evidence...
boring - we know u r a idiot!!!!!!

dannyofoxford, oxford says...
2:00pm Sun 1 Mar 09

long and boring again!!

Comments are closed on this article.

Oxford Mail reporter Andrew Ffrench, right, talks to Mr Brown and MP Andrew Smith Oxford Mail reporter Andrew Ffrench, right, talks to Mr Brown and MP Andrew Smith

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