BMW union officials failed to attend a meeting tonight called following the mass lay-offs at Mini’s Cowley Mini plant.

Representatives from the Oxford & District Trades Union Council, which called the meeting, said Chris Bond, chairman of the Unite branch at the plant, was instead trying to negotiate financial compensation for the 850 agency workers being made redundant this month.

More than 50 people were at the Jobs and Justice event at Oxford’s Town Hall to hear from union representatives in the city and discuss action in the face of widespread job cuts.

Among the audience were several BMW workers who did not wish to be named because they are still working at the plant.

One man, who has been on the production line for more than 30 years, said: “It’s very bad.

“It’s very upsetting the temps are losing their jobs but the way things are going I think it could be long-term workers too.”

The agency staff only had to be given one weeks’ notice that they were losing their jobs and do not get any of the redundancy pay their colleagues on permanent contracts do. One sacked contract worker, let go after five years at the plant, told the meeting: “I really passionately believe we have got to get the law changed so agency staff cannot ever be abused in this way again.

“They call me agency. Next month I would have been there five years.

“My colleague had been there eight years. What sort of temporary work is this?

“My job is gone. All I can do is to fight to make sure it doesn’t to happen to anyone else.”

A march is planned in Oxford on Saturday, March 7, starting in Manzil Way, East Oxford, at noon.

Nigel Carter, vice president of the Oxford TUC, said: “We have called this meeting to express solidarity with the BMW workers, in particular those given an hour’s notice they would be laid off.

“This is about putting local people first.”

Paul Garraway, Oxford branch secretary for the Communication Workers Union, criticised bankers and bosses of big companies.

He said: “We have an obligation as trade unionists to shove it in these parasites’ faces.”