WORKERS at the BMW Mini plant in Swindon have started a consultative ballot on whether to strike over pension changes.

Voting begins today on industrial action following the carmaker's announcement last month that its final salary pension scheme would close, affecting about 2,000 employees.

The move to a defined-contributions scheme could see some workers losing thousands of pounds a year in retirement income.

The ballot involves more than 5,000 Unite members across sites in Cowley, Farnborough, Goodwood, Hams Hall in the West Midlands and Swindon.

It will close on Monday, November 7, and could be followed by a full statutory strike ballot.

Tony Murphy, Unite national officer for the automotive industries, said: “BMW workers in the UK have worked hard to deliver record profits for the company and view a cut in their future pension as no different to a cut in their pay packet.

“In the last year alone BMW generated profits in excess of £5 billion, dishing out £1.8 billion to shareholders.

"BMW’s rush to close the final salary pension scheme is short-term opportunism which will rob world-class carmakers of the future retirement they have worked hard for.

“Over the coming days we will be urging our members to vote 'Yes' to action in the consultative ballot to stop the pensions robbery."

BMW has been contacted for comment.