BMW staff at the Hams Hall engine plant in Warwickshire are striking over "broken promises" on pay and could affect production at BMW's factory in Oxford which produces Mini cars.
More than 600 workers, members of the Unite union, have voted for industrial action, and strikes are planned for a number of days in February, March and April.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said the employees are "sick of being treated as second class employees and fed up with the company's broken promises", and the union warned the industrial action would intensify if the pay dispute was not resolved.
BMW staff at the Hams Hall engine plant in Warwickshire are striking over "broken promises" on pay and could affect production at BMW's factory in Oxford which produces Mini cars.
More than 600 workers, members of the Unite union, have voted for industrial action, and strikes are planned for a number of days in February, March and April.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said the employees are "sick of being treated as second class employees and fed up with the company's broken promises", and the union warned the industrial action would intensify if the pay dispute was not resolved.
It relates to a year-long negotiation on a 2024 pay deal.
The union said that since spring last year, BMW had rescinded offers, offered half what BMW colleagues in Oxford had received in 2024, and put forward conditional deals that would see long-standing bonus agreements attacked.
Unite added that staff accepted below inflation pay rises for 2022 and 2023 to assist the company, which it said made 12 billion Euros in net profit in 2023, during what the union described as the height of the cost-of-living crisis.
A statement from BMW to the BBC said: "We are disappointed that the Hams Hall workforce has rejected the latest pay offer and has started industrial action. The plant has implemented contingency measures and continues to operate as usual.
"The company has made a fair and considered pay offer and is open to continued constructive negotiations with the Plant Council and Union representatives."
Further talks are planned to take place.
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An award-winning journalist and editor, with two decades of experience covering the motor retail industry, and accredited by the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) plus the National Council for the Training of Journalist (NCTJ)
As editor of AM since 2016, Tim is responsible for its media content, planning and production across AM's multiple channels, including the website, digital reports, webinars, social media and the editorial content of AM's events, Automotive Management Live and the AM Awards. His focus is on interviewing senior leaders of franchised dealer groups and motor manufacturer national sales companies to examine latest developments in UK motor retail.
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