Will those looking to purchase a new BMW Mini have to wait their turn?
If BMW and their workers’ union doesn’t come to some kind of agreement soon, anything’s possible.
Workers at three BMW plants in Britain staged a strike that halted the production of the BMW Mini. The Unite Union said it staged the strike over what it described as nothing less than “pension robbery.”
“The workers are protesting against a plan to close a defined-benefit pension scheme in June and move workers to a contribution-based scheme – something Unite says could cost workers up to £160,000 in lost income,” the BBC reported.
Money: Always a Poor Conversation Topic
Yet BMW management claims 67 percent of those affected by the cuts who were eligible to vote back their implementation.
“We have been in meaningful discussions with Unite since September of last year and have put forward a number of options to help staff transition to the proposed new pension scheme arrangements,” BMW said in a statement. “Like many businesses, we know that the costs and risks associated with defined-benefit pension schemes makes them unsustainable and unaffordable in the long term.”
Unite general secretary Len McCluskey countered: “BMW’s refusal to discuss affordable options to keep the pension scheme open means that for the first time, its UK workforce will be taking strike action.”
Our BMW mechanics understand the value of a quality pension, but we also appreciate the value of a quality car. Let’s hope that management and workers can come to some agreement soon so the Mini can get back on the production line and roll one right into the parking space of our hearts.
