Temporary workers facing the axe at BMW’s Cowley plant say they still have days of uncertainty ahead to find out if they will be sacked.

While BMW insisted that its employment agencies Manpower and right4staff were informing contractors if they had jobs, many workers said they were still in the dark.

Some even claimed they were being asked to train permanent staff from the now defunct weekend shift to do their jobs.

The car giant announced last week it would no longer have work for 850 agency staff at its Mini plant. Last Monday, 350 workers on the factory’s weekend shift were laid off.

But 626 remaining agency staff were left sweating as to whether they would be among the other 500 set to go.

Yesterday morning, workers arrived after the week-shutdown for their 6.30am ‘blue’ shift and expected to be told where their futures lay.

Jan Haluska, 26, from Iffley, who has worked at the plant for two years, said: “I think I should be told. You are just wondering when they are going to invite you into the office and say that’s it.”

But by the end of the shift, dozens of staff said they were still none the wiser about their situation.

Duane Palmer, 21, of Boswell Road, Cowley, said: “I am stressed and I feel depressed. I had last week off and all I thought was what am I going to do? Everybody needs to know so we can get on with our lives.”

Ignatius Shama, from Little Bury, Greater Leys, who arrived for his ‘red’ shift at 4.25pm, said: “It is ridiculous. I am feeling very insecure. I have two kids and a family, and a mortgage to pay.

They are leaving everything to the last minute.”

BMW employs its agency workers through Manpower and right4staff.

Last night, BMW insisted agencies had begun telling staff about their futures.

The spokesman could not confirm how many workers had been spoken to, but said: “We have started communication of plans and will continue with agency workers receiving one-to-one briefings this week.”

Another company spokesman admitted it was “a tough situation”, but said it hoped to protect the jobs of permanent staff by changing the shift pattern.

Former BMW staff, who turned up to support the workers on their way into and out of the plant, said they felt their ex-colleagues should be told whether they would be laid off as soon as possible.

Norman Robinson, 65, of Westlands Drive, Northway, Oxford, who retired in August after seven years at the plant, said: “It is disgusting. They have got to let the family men know what’s happening to their income.”

Representatives from Workers Fight and the Socialist Workers’ Party also handed out leaflets and put up banners at the plant.