Fears are growing that BMW is about to make major cuts in production at the Cowley Mini plant, which could mean more redundancies.

Talks between union bosses and management, which have been going on for two weeks, have come to a head and an announcement to workers could be made as early as Sunday during the final shift before the plant closes down for a week.

Plant union convenor Bernard Moss said: “The trade unions have been in negotiations with the company with regard to potential shift changes. We have now reached agreement and are finalising the details.

“The normal process is now to meet shop stewards and membership to explain what these changes will be.

“Until that process has taken place I can’t make any comment on job losses but clearly, given the current economic climate, there will be a reduction in volume on what we are currently building at the plant.”

Rumours have been flying around the plant for weeks concerning the future of the weekend shift on which hundreds of workers are employed.

There are also concerns for the prospects of more than 900 agency staff at the plant after 430 were made redundant, the majority before the extended Christmas shutdown.

One worker, who declined to be named, said: “We are being kept in the dark.”

Mini plant spokesman Rebecca Baxter said: “Discussions have now concluded but the details have still to be finalised.

“We are not able to say anything further while that process is still ongoing. Once the details have been finalised, there will be an announcement, but it would be inappropriate to speculate or discuss anything further.”

Should any further redundancies be announced, it is understood the company will only have to give workers seven days’ notice of a change in shift pattern if there are considered to be “exceptional circumstances”.

The talks on shifts have been carrying on against the backdrop of falling global sales for Mini.

Last month the company revealed a total of 10,120 cars had been sold compared to 15,457 in January 2007 – a drop of 34.5 per cent.

The plant will start its shutdown once the weekend shift finishes in the early hours of Monday.

The week-long closure, which was announced a month ago, is being treated as a compulsory holiday by BMW and will be followed by a two-week closure in August.

At the time, Ms Baxter said: “It is common practice to have fixed holidays in place, which both allows employees to arrange their holidays, and assists with the plant’s production programme planning.

“It’s a measure we are taking to manage production and our workforce.”

asmith@oxfordmail.co.uk