TALKS aimed at resolving a dispute over pensions at car giant BMW are to resume on Wednesday as workers continued voting on whether to take industrial action.

Members of Unite are being balloted on whether to launch a campaign of action in protest over plans to close their final salary pension scheme.

Unite national officer Tony Murphy said: "BMW Group needs to negotiate meaningfully to break the impasse and avoid the looming prospect of industrial action.

"Trying to buy off car workers to give up their pensions with a derisory £7,000 is an insult to workers who could lose up to £160,000 in retirement income if the pension scheme closes.

"This is money which will be clawed back from workers at a later date by BMW and amounts to nothing more than smoke and mirrors.

"BMW Group can well afford to keep its pension promises and do the right thing by a workforce which has contributed massively to the carmaker's success.

"We urge BMW bosses to work seriously with Unite to resolve this dispute for the good of the workforce and the good of the business."

The ballot, of workers at Cowley, Farnborough, Goodwood, Hams Hall and Swindon, closes on March 31.