Workers' union, Unite, has said it will ballot its 4500 BMW/MINI members after the company refused to lift the threat of closing the Final Salary Pension Scheme in May 2017, replacing it with a less generous package.
A meeting between the union and management on February 20 set out the workers' opposition to the proposed pension plan, although further meetings are planned this week to come to some agreement.
Unite leader Len McCluskey said: “Unite requested that BMW lift its deadline for the pension scheme’s threatened closure so that talks could be conducted in a meaningful way. Unfortunately that perfectly reasonable request has been refused by BMW bosses, who are in danger of miscalculating the growing anger among its UK workforce.”
He said the “hard work and efficiency” of BMW’s workers had contributed to its “record breaking profits”.
“BMW bosses would do well to heed the growing sense of betrayal over their broken pension promises, which have already seen 96pc of workers saying they would take industrial action in a consultative ballot,” he added.
A spokesperson for BMW said: "BMW Group has always prided itself in providing excellent pensions for all its staff and wants to act now to protect future pension provision. Discussions are ongoing and the company continues to consider feedback, and a counter proposal, outlined by the union during the recent consultation period."
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