Rover designers who moved from
the Gaydon plant to work for BMW in Germany are returning to an
uncertain future after being sent back to England.
Up to 100 engineers are being
forcibly repatriated to Britain after their bosses decided to end
their secondment to Munich.
The workers had been
encouraged to go to Germany for a two-year period to spend time
working on new BMWs and Rovers.
The German firm particularly
sought their expertise in building 4x4 models as BMW has just launched
its own vehicle.
But the English engineers have
now been sent home and face an uncertain future because the Gaydon
plant could close.
Many of them cannot even
return to their own homes as they have rented them out on contract.
Roger Lyons, General Secretary
of the MSF (Manufacturing, Science Finance) union said one young man
recently went to Germany believing he was about to start a new life.
His wife quit her job, they
sold their house but just one month later they are on their way home
with no prospects for the future.
Mr Lyons said:
"BMW have rewarded the
sacrifice and dedication of these highly skilled and professional
staff with treachery. Their lives are now in ruins BMW have acted
shamefully.
“BMW
have taken the valuable knowledge of these British design engineers
for their future profits and left the British staff with nothing for
the future at all.”
