EIGHTY agency workers at the Cowley Mini plant have been axed and shifts shortened as part of a major shake-up.

Bosses say the move comes in an attempt to meet “the different ordering patterns of customers” in the car’s markets around the world.

They added that it aimed to “better match production to customer demand”.

But union officials say it is more of a cost-cutting exercise, with plant management looking to trim shift premium payments where workers get paid a bonus on top of their basic wage for working un sociable hours.

Plant spokesman Rebecca Baxter said: “It is all about making sure the shift pattern allows us to be as flexible as possible.

“We sell to 90 markets around the world which have very different peaks and troughs.”

Each shift worked will now be an hour shorter but Ms Baxter added basic pay would remain the same, although she admitted shift pre-miums may be affected.

But leaders of the Unite trade union at the plant say that every worker will cover the same number of hours every week and will have to work more days to make up the time.

They also claim some workers could be up to £100 a month worse off due to the cut in shift premium.

One union official told the Oxford Mail: “We are working less hours during the shift premium period and we will be losing money on that.

“Also, we will be having to work two more days a month which will cost us more on transport.”

But it is understood that while some workers may be unhappy with the new arrangements, the union had already agreed to the new shift pattern.

The changes will be enforced from June 6 and the agency staff will be given two weeks’ notice of their jobs being scrapped by the Right4Staff agency which employs them.

About 3,700 staff work at the Cowley plant, including approximately 700 agency staff.

The new shift pattern is expected to be used during the remainder of 2011, while the plant works towards integrating its two new models, the Coupé – which goes on sale in the autumn – and the Roadster.

Last week, the Oxford Mail reported that UK sales of the Mini had fallen by more than 18 per cent in April.

Bosses blamed the successive bank holidays which led to the plant being closed for more than a week.