BMW workers from the Cowley and Hams Hall engine plants in the West Midlands will be holding protests today over the firm’s plan to close their defined benefit pension scheme.

The protests follow the decision to vote for industrial action over BMW’s plan to terminate its final salary scheme. The potential closure of the BMW occupational scheme on 31 May 2017 could result in some of the company’s UK workforce losing up to £160,000 in retirement income.

The protests follow last week’s Group net profit of eight per cent to €6.9bn and record Mini sales and a six per cent rise in Rolls-Royce sales. Demonstrating against their ‘pension robbery’, along with workers union Unite, the Cowley protest is set to begin at 12.00 today and Hams Hall workers will begin at 13.30.

It emerged in September 2016 that the car manufacturer planned to close both final salary pension schemes and transfer existing members to a DC scheme which was launched in 2014 and already has around 2,000 members.

The ballot involving employees from Cowley, Farnborough, Goodwood, Hams Hall and Swindon closes on Friday 31 March.

Unite national officer Tony Murphy said: “Workers will be protesting and encouraging their colleagues to back industrial action and send a clear message to BMW bosses that they will not tolerate the firm’s pension robbery.

“The UK workforce has contributed massively to BMW Group’s record sales and revenues and deserves better than BMW’s broken pension promises and pleas of poverty.

“We would urge BMW to recognise the vital role the world class UK workforce has played in the company’s success and work with Unite to find a solution which safeguards car workers’ pensions and works well for the business.”

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