BMW workers have said that a further wave of strikes is “almost certain” if talks with the company are not successful, workers union Unite has revealed.

Unite shop stewards from BMW plants in Cowley, Goodwood, Hams Hall and Swindon met yesterday 13 June 2017, to discuss its next steps in the BMW final salary pension scheme dispute. The talks followed the announcement that BMW staff had rejected the company’s latest offer in a consultative ballot by 56.6 per cent.

As a result, workers have warned that there will be continued strike action if BMW does not propose a new offer that addresses the reservations of its members.

Unite expects to meet BMW bosses in the next few days to have further discussions regarding its employee pension scheme.

Unite national officer for BMW Fred Hanna said: “We expect to meet BMW in the coming days. Shop stewards from all of BMW’s UK plants are clear that further strike action is almost certain unless the company puts forward a new offer that better addresses members’ concerns.

“We would urge BMW bosses to engage constructively and work with Unite to hammer out a deal which is acceptable to our members and averts the disruption of further strike action.”

To date, BMW workers across the country have staged four walkouts and protests earlier this year, while three 24-hour strikes were suspended in May as workers deliberated on the company’s proposal of closing the final salary scheme and moving workers into a defined contribution pension plan.

The closure of the BMW scheme could lead to some workers losing up to £160,000 in retirement incom

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