Read news from:
Austria
SHARE
COPY LINK

JOBS

BMW slashes 850 UK jobs at Mini

German automaker BMW said on Monday that it would shed 850 workers in England who help to make the Mini as the economic crisis hits demand for the iconic car, celebrating its 50th birthday in 2009.

Published: 16 February 2009 13:18 CET
BMW slashes 850 UK jobs at Mini
Photo: DPA

BMW said nearly a fifth of workers at its plant in Cowley, near London, would be affected by the downsizing starting on March 2 to coincide with a reduction in the working week to five days from seven.

“While Mini has been weathering the economic downturn, it is not immune from the challenges of the current situation,” BMW said in a statement. “Against this backdrop the company felt that a review of its shift patterns was necessary,” it said, adding: “This decision has not been taken lightly.”

Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s spokesman described the news as “very disappointing”, adding: “All I can say really is the government is doing and will do everything it can in order to help those affected… working with the company and the individuals affected to help them retrain and, or find alternative employment.”

Tony Woodley, joint leader of the Unite union, called the manner of the announcement “disgraceful”, with workers claiming they were given only one

hour’s warning.

“Sacking an entire shift like this, and targeting agency workers who have no rights to redundancy pay, is blatant opportunism on BMW’s part and nothing short of scandalous,” Woodley said.

“BMW’s parent company couldn’t attempt this in Germany because it would be illegal to do so… We will be seeking to meet with the company as soon as possible to fight back against these needless cuts. We will also be keeping up the pressure on our government to do more to protect jobs in this country,” added the union boss.

BMW, which is struggling in its key North American market, previously said that its overall 2008 vehicle sales were down five percent from the year before. Sales of the Mini – which celebrates its 50th anniversary in August – were down by 35 percent in January.

“I feel betrayed” by Monday’s announcement, said John Cunningham, who has worked at the factory for more than two years.

“They’ve planned this for months and we’ve only just been told – one hour’s notice,” he told the BBC. “I don’t know what’s going to happen to me and my family. It’s very scary.”

BMW had already decided to halt production of Minis at Cowley from Monday for one week. The plant currently employs about 4,500 workers. Last week, German-owned luxury car brand Bentley said it would axe 220 jobs in England and temporarily cut pay for retained staff by a tenth as it battles sliding sales.

Meanwhile Jaguar and Nissan have also announced major British job cuts in recent weeks, while Honda is closing its factory in Swindon, western England, for four months.

In January, the government unveiled a £2.3-billion (€2.6-billion) support package for Britain’s ailing auto industry.

Sales of new cars in Britain tumbled by more than 30 percent in January as the recession slashed demand for new vehicles, trade data has showed.

For members

WORKING IN GERMANY

Which Bavaria-based companies regularly hire English speakers?

Bavaria is no doubt a beautiful state with a strong economy, but can be a hard place for non-German speakers to integrate. The Local takes a look at job opportunities in Germany’s southeastern 'Free State.'

Published: 7 February 2024 10:54 CET
Updated: 10 February 2024 08:20 CET
Which Bavaria-based companies regularly hire English speakers?

Munich ranks third in German cities with the highest total GDP, behind Berlin and Hamburg, but in terms of GDP per capita, it’s higher than both of them.

It also consistently ranks high, often highest, in terms of average household income.

As of 2023, nine of the 40 companies listed on DAX, Germany’s stock index, were based in Bavaria. Seven of those are based specifically in Munich.

While Frankfurt is commonly known to be Germany’s business capital, Munich can claim the title of Germany’s insurance capital, which is saying something, as Germany is home to some of the largest insurance firms in the world, like Allianz.

Beyond the state’s capital city, a number of international companies are based elsewhere in Bavaria, particularly in the Franken region, near Nuremberg.

Which companies actively hire English speakers?

Bavaria, and Munich in particular, is home to a number of companies at the forefront of international business. But the state is known for its traditional, sometimes conservative, culture, which affects its business culture as well.

Whereas companies embracing English as their primary business language are easy to find in Berlin, the practice is less common in the south. That said, there are some notable exceptions. 

Sportswear giants, Adidas and Puma, both have their headquarters near Nuremberg in Herzogenaurach, and regularly recruit English speaking international talent.

“As an international company, our teams reflect the rich diversity of our consumers and communities,” Jon Greenhalgh, Senior Manager Media Relations for Adidas told The Local. “Fostering a culture of inclusion where we value and leverage differences, ensures that we can authentically engage with our employees and truly connect with our consumers.”

He added that around 40 per cent of Adidas’ Germany-based employees are foreign nationals, from over 100 different countries.

Siemens and BMW rank among Bavaria’s top employers, and are also known to hire their fair share of foreigners.

“In Germany, we recently had around 2,000 open positions,” Konstanze Somborn told The Local on behalf of Siemens AG.

He added that Siemens operates in 190 countries. “That is why we value international teams very much…English as a common language is very usual.”

READ ALSO: ‘Which German companies want to hire foreigners?’

Similarly, BMW hires workers from a variety of backgrounds. 

“Every year, we hire lots of internationals and welcome them to the BMW Group,” Dr. Hans-Peter Ketterl, a press spokesman for BMW Group told The Local. 

But not all of these positions are available to non-German speakers.

Ketterl added that BMW’s working language is German in the country, even though, “English is an indispensable entry requirement as the second corporate language in many areas of the company.”

Check job boards and follow best practices

If it’s your first time applying for jobs in Germany, make sure to change your resume to the German format, even for English positions.

While Germany is home to its own job boards, like Xing, LinkedIn is probably the best place to start. In addition to searching for positions based in your preferred location, you can check relevant groups, like Munich Startups, to broaden your horizons.

The English Jobs in Germany website is also a good resource to start with. 

SHOW COMMENTS