UK: BMW’s Oxford Plant Workers - ISETTA
Jules Dawson | 24.02.2009 21:39 | Anti-militarism | Technology | Terror War
More charges of union complicity in mass sackings at BMW’s Oxford plant .... Workers reported for shifts at the BMW plant in Cowley, Oxford, on Monday after a one-week shutdown, still uncertain as to the future of some 500 agency staff.
BMW ISETTA
The previous week, 350 agency staff had been given just one hour's notice and told to hand over their uniforms and security cards. The mass sacking led to angry scenes as it became apparent that the union, Unite, had been aware for some time that the cuts would be made but had concealed the information. At the time of the sackings, it was said that a further 500 temporary staff would be cut from weekday shifts and 150 workers would be transferred from the Swindon plant to Oxford.
Subsequently, it was claimed that the agency workers who supplied the weekend shifts at BMW's Cowley plant, despite being fully paid-up members of Unite, were not part of a vote in mid-January on a proposed reduction in shifts. One worker told the Oxford Mail, "We pay the same amount as contracted staff into the union, but we don't have the same rights. We can't go to the meetings and we have no right to vote. When we asked the union why, they said their hands were tied. I think it's totally wrong."
Unite plant union convenor Bernard Moss defended the situation, stating that, "The problem is the core workforce is contracted to BMW. Any agreements we have for shift changes are only decided by BMW people, not agency labour." .............
Liz Smith and Elaine Gorton | 24.02.2009 17:16 | Social Struggles | Workers' Movements | Oxford
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/02/422764.html
>>> Liz Smith and Elaine Gorton - Homepage: http://www.wsws.org
Subsequently, it was claimed that the agency workers who supplied the weekend shifts at BMW's Cowley plant, despite being fully paid-up members of Unite, were not part of a vote in mid-January on a proposed reduction in shifts. One worker told the Oxford Mail, "We pay the same amount as contracted staff into the union, but we don't have the same rights. We can't go to the meetings and we have no right to vote. When we asked the union why, they said their hands were tied. I think it's totally wrong."
Unite plant union convenor Bernard Moss defended the situation, stating that, "The problem is the core workforce is contracted to BMW. Any agreements we have for shift changes are only decided by BMW people, not agency labour." .............
Liz Smith and Elaine Gorton | 24.02.2009 17:16 | Social Struggles | Workers' Movements | Oxford
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/02/422764.html >>> Liz Smith and Elaine Gorton - Homepage:
http://www.wsws.org
Jules Dawson
