Mini has announced that it is axing around 400 agency jobs from its Oxford factory, citing reduced customer demand.
The facility will continue to operate five days a week but in October workers will move from a three-shift to a two-shift pattern.
The job cuts will come from the 950 agency staff that currently work on the site and will represent about 10 per cent of the total workforce.
It comes as the latest company to make cuts amid the economic downturn due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Bob Shankly, human resources director at Mini Oxford, said: “The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in a substantial impact on customer demand and, like other automotive manufacturers, our volume forecasts for 2020 have had to change accordingly.
“We have, therefore, made the difficult decision to adjust our shift patterns at Mini Plant Oxford from October.
"This will give us the flexibility we need to adapt our production in the short to medium term, according to developments in global markets.
“Our decision has been made after close discussion with trade union representatives and we are aware that our plans will have an impact on people during an uncertain and worrying time.
“We have sought to protect as many jobs as we can, while also taking the necessary steps to ensure the stability of our business in light of this current period of volatile and unpredictable market conditions.”
The news comes amid the latest production figures from industry body the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, which show output was down 20.8 per cent in July as the industry struggled to recover from pandemic-related shutdowns and economic uncertainty.
