No redundancies at Vauxhall’s Ellesmere Port plant - 26th Nov 2009 5:57pm
No redundancies at Vauxhall’s Ellesmere Port plant
Vauxhall’s owner General Motors (GM) has today said it has “no plans” for any job losses at its Ellesmere Port plant despite cutting 9,000 staff from its European operations.
The plant, which employs 2,000 people, will add a third shift to its operations in 2011.
Workers at Ellesmere Port had been warned 800 jobs would go under plans by prospective buyers Magna. But a u-turn by GM earlier this month saw the sale collapse, leading to the carmaker unveiling its own plans for its European operations.
Significant cuts will be made from its European workforce – up to 5,400 redundancies in Germany while the future of Opel’s Antwerp plant, in Belgium, remains under threat. Vauxhall’s site in Luton will see 354 jobs cut.
GM Europe’s chief executive Nick Reilly, a former Ellesmere Port plant manager, has begun the consultation process with each individual manufacturing plant in Europe – leading to today’s announcement.
A GM spokesperson said: “Ellesmere Port is today advising employees of the proposals for its future.
“The proposed plan is for Ellesmere Port to move to a three shift production operation in 2011.
“To support the launch in 2010 of the new Astra Sports Tourer and to prepare for the third shift introduction in 2011, the plan is for no redundancies as all current labour would need to be utilised to staff the third shift.”
Yesterday it was unveiled that most of the 9,000 job cuts expected from GM’s European workforce would come from the mainland, with up to 60% in Germany. A sizeable portion of the remainder could come from Opel’s Antwerp plant, in Belgium.
Andrew Miller, MP for Ellesmere Port and Neston, said: “The plan is now that management and trade union leaders will be working to finesse the details.
“This is a fantastic example of how British industry, the unions and the Labour Government are working together.
“They have pulled off a result which is the very best for Britain.”
Canadian car parts maker Magna – which was in the driving seat to buy the European business from US owner General Motors (GM) before a spectacular U-turn by the company on November 3 reversed the decision – had warned that up to 800 jobs could be lost at Vauxhall’s Ellesmere Port plant which makes the Astra model as part of a restructuring.
THE ECHO