ANYONE who has worked at Oxford’s BMW Mini plant in the past will receive preferential treatment when they apply for their jobs back.

The company, which earlier this month cut 850 jobs among agency workers due to falling sales, is now looking to take on 250 workers for three months from July thanks to an upturn in demand.

BMW spokesman Rebecca Baxter said: “We are looking for people with a whole range of skills — we have briefed the agencies about exactly which skills we need.

“But preference will be given to people who have worked here before because they know how we work and have received our training.”

Some former workers have found permanent jobs and are not willing to risk temporary work, even with the higher wages.

Simon Weller, who worked for Manpower for two-and-a-half years at the factory, has already turned down the offer to reapply for his old job.

Like other agency staff, Mr Weller received no redundancy pay, despite having worked at the factory for two-and-a-half years.

Mr Weller said: “It’s put a bad taste in my mouth.

“Until the Government changes the law to give agency staff the same rights as full-time workers, I won’t go back.”

He spent two months out of work, but now has a permanent job — on lower pay — as a Co-op van driver. He said: “I get all the benefits you get with a big company — a pension scheme and saving scheme.

“I got my first pay packet last week and it wasn’t too bad.”

However, Dinos Santos, who also worked for Manpower and is struggling to survive on his £64-a-week Jobseekers' Allowance, said he would jump at the chance of a three-month job.

“Certainly I would go back, because I haven't managed to find anything else.”

Ms Baxter said several things had combined to cause the upturn in demand for the Mini.

“The new Mini Convertible, launched in March, is proving popular; then there is the scrappage scheme coming into force, which encourages people to exchange their old cars for new ones; and the Mini’s 50th anniversary has also brought the car to people’s attention.

“And on top of that we now sell in Brazil, which means that the Mini is on sale in 81 countries,” she said.

More than 10,000 people signed a petition organised by the Unite trade union calling on BMW to rethink its decision not to pay redundancy to agency staff.

Since then, the Government has started a three-month consultation following a deal brokered last year between unions and business groups to give temporary workers equal rights after only 12 weeks in the job.