Windlass Thermal Circuit Breaker 80 Ampere (w) on 2040-parts.com

BMW makes 1,000 workers permanent

AROUND 1,000 agency workers at car giant BMW are to be made permanent employees, guaranteeing job security for years. The change, being made in two phases, was warmly welcomed by the Unite union, describing it as a great Christmas present. The announcement covers workers across a number of BMW sites including the Mini plant in Oxford, pressings plant in Swindon and Hams Hall engine site near Birmingham.

A look at Volvo future products

Volvo wants to derive economies of scale from a new front-wheel-drive architecture called SPA, for Scalable Platform Architecture. The redesigned XC90 crossover due in 2014 will be the first to use the architecture. SPA was designed for a new family of four-cylinder gasoline and diesel engines that Volvo will begin using on existing models next fall.

Overseas embassies in London refuse to pay £77m on Congestion Charge

ALESSIA PIERDOMENICO, Newscom, RTR More than £75 million in Congestion Charge fees is owed by London’s foreign embassy staff who refuse to pay it. The staggering figure is revealed in a report which names and shames 71 countries which have each racked up debts of more than £100,000 since the scheme launched in February 2003. According to figures compiled by Transport for London (TfL) and seen by MSN Cars, the total amount outstanding from them – up to 14 January 2014 – is a whopping £76.9 million.