THOUSANDS of staff at Vauxhall’s Ellesmere Port plant have left for their Christmas break without any idea what the New Year will hold for their troubled business.

Vauxhall parent General Motors is staring into the abyss after a $14bn (£9.3bn) bail-out for the car industry was rejected by the US Senate. The company says it will run out of money in weeks without state support.

Vauxhall is already taking measures to cope with the slump in car sales. Staff at the company’s Ellesmere Port plant, which employs 2,200 people, were sent home for their Christmas break a week early and will arrive back on January 12, several days later than usual.

The company is also offering workers the chance to take an eight-month career break on 30% pay, allowing them to return in September when the plant starts building the new Astra.

The uncertainty about GM’s future is sure to leave Ellesmere Port workers nervous. But one ray of hope came last night when the White House said it would consider other options, including the use of the £467bn Wall Street bail-out package, to help the industry.

GM Europe says it is “business as usual” at Vauxhall while a deal is sought in the US.

It said: “We are working with our labour representatives and key governments to provide liquidity for sustaining operations while the US team pursues its options.”

In the UK, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders is negotiating with the Government on behalf of car manufacturers, including Vauxhall, to find ways of supporting the industry and restoring consumer confidence.