Mini boom leads to new shift rota

In February, 850 agency workers lost their jobs at the Cowley site.

BMW Mini employees are heading back to work in Oxford to start a new shift pattern at the plant in response to a recent increase in demand.

Staff were balloted on a range of shift patterns for use during 2009 including flexible Sunday working.

About 250 agency staff will begin working the new 11-shift system which came into effect on Monday.

It comes after the loss of 850 agency workers at the Cowley site in February when the firm scrapped weekend working.

The plant will work Monday to Saturday with a maximum of two Saturdays per month for individual associates, and a new voluntary crew will cover occasional Sunday working.