Looks like its finally hit us too! 3rd shift plus 850 jobs slashed, and MINI only gave them an hour notice!!! WOW


http://www.autoblog.com/2009/02/16/m...obs-in-the-uk/

 

They were agency staff working long term for MINI. They are not actually MINI staff as such. Agency staff have far less rights in the workplace than the full time MINI employees.

Still, I feel really sorry for them. There really couldnt be a worse time to loose their jobs. :(

 

Hate to be insensitive, but how do people see this affecting factory output?

 

are agency staff the same as contractors and sub-contractors here in the US?

 

I'm not surprised.....our dealer has refused to take any more MINIs from the factory because they have so many in inventory right now.

 

Yeh, very similar.

My understanding is that MINI employ their own workforce and also hire extra "skilled workers" through agencies, meaning that although they are building the MINI's they aren't actually protected by the same employment rights as the permanent MINI staff, because they are employed by the agency, not MINI.

That said, agency staff know that there jobs are not guaranteed in the long term, its the nature of their industry. However, some of them have been working at the plant for 5 years!

1h notice stinks somewhat!

 

From what I have been reading, researching, and hearing, this is just the start of a wicked storm!
And congress thinks that printing more money and lots of bail outs of failing company's will solve the problem!

 

this must be the reason my car started production on 2/12 and the computer says it wont be done till 2/25 13 days. My other MINI only took 7 days from start to finish in october.

 

maybe we should have bought american cars

 

Ide rather ride a tricycle!

 

Tonight on the BBC America news they were talking about this. They showed some cell phone video footage of the workers and how upset they are. It was not very pleasant.

 

Well I'm sure that if their government would step in and appoint a board of political bureaucrats to tell them how they should run the company everything will be just hunky doory...

 

They were saying due to their labor laws they didn't have to give the workers any notice. One woman they spoke with said they only got 1 hour warning. Pretty upsetting for them.

 

muladesigns1, you are correct, the storm, I am afraid, is just beginning. The bail outs being passed out by Congress are only going to make it longer and more intense. Your research should include following the Financial Truth blog, it features current video and audio interviews with Jim Rogers, Peter Schiff, Marc Faber and Ron Paul! IMO, all of these men truly understand sound economics and are right on the money in regards to our current monetary problems. http://financialtruth0.blogspot.com

Mini did the right thing. Their survival is at stake so it only makes sense to cut back on production. The incompetent car manufacturers are being "bailed out" with tax payer money. Why save them? Why should I, as a taxpayer, be forced to help anyone that sucks? What's next? Being forced, by legislation, to buy their crappy cars?!

 

JD Powers 2008 Most Reliable Cars:

1- Lexus
2- Mercury
3- Cadillac
4- Toyota
5- Acura
6- Buick
7- BMW
8- Lincoln
9- Honda
10- Jaguar

Five of the top 10 are manufactured by American car companies.

 

Thanks for the info, I will be sure to check it out!


if you notice, the american cars listed are driven by the "average" american owner who drives them is like 70-90. so i would think they put maybe 10K miles on them per year/ so yea, i can see how it would be considered reliable. it dosent get used

 

Yeah and what a great time to be having your mini built. Im week 7

 

I'm in the same boat my car started feb 12 so this week should have been the week the was compleated.

 

When they start printing money, instead of a depression we're headed for massive inflation. When you pay $28K for a MINI now, look at double to triple the price down the road. Save your pennies, nickles, dimes, etc. 'cause we aint seen nothin' yet...

 

But what country are they actually made in. Could be Canada or Mexico both of which are NOT the US.

And the Toyota is built in the US as are some of the BMW's and Honda's

So just saying it is a US manufacturer doe not mean a single thing.

 

^^ But if its an American car, product of an American company, then overall the Americans benefit... buying a Honda even though its built here, still benefits the Japanese Honda company monetarily.

 

I was saddend to see the video from BBC News showing the upset workers.

On the way in to work today in Wensleydale, I was thinking some of those poor souls may have built the best car I've ever owned, really sad

 

That list makes me laugh. BMW more reliable than Honda? As someone that's owned both of them, I politely disagree.

1- Lexus
2- Mercury
3- Cadillac
4- Toyota
5- Acura
6- Buick
7- BMW
8- Lincoln
9- Honda
10- Jaguar

 

 

+1 And I will not be polite in disagreeing Interesting, where is Infinity?