BMW cuts working hours as sales plunge

BERLIN: BMW said on Tuesday that 26,000 of its workers across Germany would have their hours cut from February, as the Bavarian luxury carmaker battles with the worldwide slump in the car industry.

Four BMW factories would be affected, with the worst hit being Dingolfing in Bavaria, where 15,000 workers will be placed on part-time contracts until March.

The emergency measures will secure jobs in the currently "difficult" climate, Manfred Schoch, head of BMW's works council said in a statement.

On January 9, BMW said that in December the number of vehicles that it had sold had slumped by more than a quarter compared to the year-earlier period.