500 Vauxhall staff walk out over job loss fears

Mar 5 2008 by Liam Murphy, Liverpool Daily Post

A WILDCAT strike at Vauxhall in Ellesmere Port yesterday was prompted by fears of job losses at the motor manufacturer.

A spokeswoman for the company confirmed a “handful of employees” walked out at around 11am.

The workers were from the press room where panels for cars are pressed into shape.

Their shift finished at 2pm and according to the company work resumed.

Over the last couple of weeks workers at the plant have become increasingly concerned that up to 460 jobs could be cut from the Ellesmere Port plant.

Trade union sources have said a vice-president from parent company General Motors told a European meeting the US motor giant wanted to axe 5,136 jobs in Europe in 2008.

They also said that Ellesmere Port, the home of the Astra, may have to bear 460 losses as part of the cuts.

A letter was sent last week to all union members at the plant warning them of the contents of the speech.

The car maker made record losses last year due to the downturn in the US market.

Last night a spokeswoman for Vauxhall they could not comment about possible job losses.

She said: “General Motors and our management team are talking regularly about ways to improve competitiveness, but nothing has come out of that.”