Prime Minister Gordon Brown today pledged support for Oxford’s sacked BMW agency workers — but employees said his promises were “too little too late”.

Mr Brown said legislation was being brought in to provide additional protection for agency workers.

Earlier this month, 850 temporary workers at the Cowley plant were made redundant, with some staff being given just a week’s notice.

Mr Brown’s pledge came as it emerged there would be a weekend shift tomorrow and Sunday — despite weekend working being scrapped.

The work this weekend has been prompted by the launch of the new convertible model.

Simon Page, 43, from Starwort Path, Blackbird Leys, Oxford, who lost his job after four years as an agency worker, said: “New legislation was being talked about seven years ago, so when it does finally come it will be too little, too late for all the agency workers who have lost their jobs.

“When push comes to shove, the Government can push through legislation overnight when it wants to — this will be closing the stable door after the horse has bolted.”

Speaking at the new cancer centre at the Churchill Hospital in Headington, Mr Brown said: “We are talking to the European Union to give support to the car industry.

“In the case of the Mini, it is one of the great British exports. While there have been job losses, the car has a great future.”

Mr Brown said: “We are bringing in an agency workers’ bill that will give rights after 12 weeks and these rights will be extended.

“We are working our way through this.

“I regret any job loss and we are determined to create new job opportunities where they are available.

“The Mini is a good car and when the car market returns it will have a great future.”

When Mr Brown was asked if he could guarantee there would not be further job losses at the Mini plant in Cowley, the Prime Minister said: “That is a matter for the company.”

Agency workers at BMW’s Leipzig plant are entitled to a 90-day consultation period and European legislation, known as the Temporary Agency Workers Directive, has been repeatedly delayed — but could become law in the UK this year.

Oxford East MP Andrew Smith added: “Four weeks ago, the Government announced a £2.3bn package of support for the car industry and one part was access to European bank finance for investment projects in the car industry.”

Speaking about the news that the Mini plant would be operating this weekend, Curtis Williams, 47, who had worked at BMW through an agency for almost four years, said: “This is the first I’ve heard of it and it’s really downheartening.

“How can they launch a weekend shift like this when they are laying people off?

“They will be paying staff extra to do the work when people like me could have been working there — it’s disgusting.”

BMW spokesman Rebecca Baxter said: “Due to the change in the shift pattern and the subsequent training days this week, the plant needs to catch up with production of a small number of cars.

“This is an unusual situation that has come about due to the introduction of the new shift pattern.”