BOSSES at the BMW plant in Oxford last night confirmed the factory would stop making cars for three weeks later in the year.

Workers at the Mini plant have been told they must take compulsory holidays for one week next month and two weeks in August.

BMW spokesman Rebecca Baxter said the shutdown would help employees plan holidays and allow maintenance work to be carried out at the plant.

However, she said that given the challenging economic climate, it was prudent to plan ahead.

Ms Baxter said: “Our plants in Oxford and Swindon have announced their 2009 fixed holiday arrangements for employees.

“The dates, which have been agreed by union representatives, are week eight and weeks 32 and 33.

“It is common practice to have fixed holidays in place, which both allows employees to arrange their holidays, and assists with the plant’s production programme planning.

“It’s a measure we are taking to manage production and our workforce.

“It doesn’t happen every year, but it’s entirely usual.”

One agency worker, who wished to remain anonymous, said he had never previously been ordered to take a holiday to allow manufacturing to stop, in two-and-a-half years at the plant.

He said: “We are told to book holidays in advance, and if too many people are off for those days they can be revoked. But I’ve never had a fixed holiday.

“It’s not ideal because my partner will have to book days off around me. But I’m lucky to have a job.

“They can make as many rules as they like as long as I’ve still got a job.”

BMW also confirmed that cuts among agency workers at the end of last year were much more severe than originally predicted.

In November the company announced that 290 agency workers would lose their jobs because of a downturn in sales. In fact, 380 went.

Ms Baxter said: “In November we reckoned that the impact of new shift patterns following the prolonged Christmas break would be 290 jobs.

“Now I can confirm that in fact 380 agency jobs were lost.”

Union convenor Bernard Moss said meetings with shop floor workers were taking place about possible further changes in shift patterns, but declined to comment further.

Worldwide sales figures for the Mini in December showed a 27.8 per cent drop on the same month last year, while the Cowley plant’s 4,500 workers were ordered to down tools for nearly a month over Christmas because of the economic slowdown.

Internationally, a number of car companies are competing for bailouts from governments.

Bailouts are, to some extent, in place in the USA, Canada, Sweden and Germany.

Ms Baxter said: “We are continuing to monitor the situation through the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.”

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