Hundreds of jobs could be at risk at a major UK manufacturing plant amid uncertainty in the global automotive market.
In a statement, BMW said it was "assessing" the future of jobs at its Swindon Plant after it cut 180 temporary workers from its Oxford factory.
The manufacturing giant said it would be ending staff agency contracts at its Oxford plant due to global instability, stemming from US President Donald Trump's auto tariffs.
The Swindon automated steel pressing facility produces steel panels for the Mini plant in Oxford and received an upgrade in 2022 to double production.
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BMW said it was assessing jobs at its Mini Plant Swindon
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However, in a statement, a BMW spokesperson said: "Swindon has a much smaller workforce than Oxford and any potential changes would be proportionate to those we’ve already communicated in Oxford.
"Our plants in Oxford and Swindon work closely together, with Swindon producing metal pressings and body components which are then sent to Oxford for final assembly," they told the Sun.
The spokesperson added that its Oxford and Swindon plants "remain at the heart" of Mini production, with a focus on manufacturing for the UK and exporting models abroad.
They added: "As announced in February, in light of the multiple uncertainties currently facing the automotive industry, the BMW Group is reviewing the timeline for reintroducing battery-electric Mini production at Plant Oxford.
"As always, discussions about changes to roles must take place with the individuals concerned and relevant trade unions first so we are not in a position to share further details at this stage."
BMW Group said the "adjustment" to the Mini Plant Oxford was planned to align its workforce to "current business requirements".
It added that temporary work was one of the ways the company could deal with global volatility in a flexible way.
A spokesperson said: "While this is always a difficult decision, the recent adjustment to temporary staffing levels at Mini Plant Oxford was a long-planned measure to align our workforce with current business requirements."
These changes come just months after BMW announced it was delaying investment of around £600million to its Oxford plant amid "multiple uncertainties facing the automotive industry".
Original plans would have seen a £600million upgrade of its Cowley plant to equip the factory to produce the rejuvenated battery electric Mini.
Production of two new electric Mini models had been scheduled to begin at the factory in 2026, under plans announced in 2023, alongside millions in additional funding.
Speaking at the time, a BMW Group spokesperson said: "We have informed the UK Government of our decision to review the timeline for reintroducing battery-electric production in Oxford.
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"As part of this discussion, we agreed not to take the previously announced grant, but we remain in close dialogue about our future plans."
According to data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), Mini has sold 15,561 cars so far this year, worth 2.2 per cent of the total market share.
This also represents a healthy 4.4 per cent sales increase compared to the same time last year, while its owner BMW remains one of the most successful manufacturers with 43,645 new registrations this year.
