BMW will reduce working hours for 26,000 workers at four German plants in February and March, in response to sharply falling sales.

The luxury carmaker said the move aimed to achieve necessary cost reductions while safeguarding jobs.

The plants at DIngolfing, Regensburg, Landshut and Berlin will work short-time on certain days during February and March, but factories at Munch and Leipzig are unaffected.

"Safeguarding jobs - even in difficult times - by using a broad range of flexibility instruments has always been one of our key strengths," said Harald Krüger, HR director of BMW AG.

“In addition to these measures we are also using a sophisticated combination of flex-time accounts, proactive leave planning and temporary short-time working at specific plants.”