Ellesmere Port and Neston Labour MP Andrew Miller begins campaign for Ellesmere Port car plant to revert to original production targets

Nov 5 2009 by Neil Hodgson, Liverpool Daily Post

MP Andrew Miller tells Neil Hodgson that original Vauxhall production targets are vital – even as job cuts are confirmed

MOVES have begun to add more car production volume at Vauxhall’s Ellesmere Port plant after US parent General Motors (GM) sensationally decided to retain its European arm – even as the company announced it would still axe 10,000 jobs across Europe.

John Smith, GM’s group vice- president last night revealed: “Our plans envisaged a headcount reduction of roughly 10,000 people.”

But he did not give details as to how this would relate to individual countries or plants.

Union leaders responded to the latest development by saying that redundancies were inevitable, but pledged to work towards minimising the impact on Vauxhall’s UK workforce.

The Cheshire plant is currently producing the latest generation Vauxhall Astra, which has a life expectancy of about seven years.

Traditionally, the plant can produce between 180,000 and 200,000 vehicles a year.

But plummeting car sales, due to the credit crunch, led to a proposal by former preferred buyer Magna to slash production levels at the plant to 125,000.

After sustained negotiations, that was raised to 145,000.

And Ellesmere Port and Neston Labour MP Andrew Miller said he was now lobbying GM to reinstate its original production plans, which could mean a third shift for the site.

Mr Miller said: “I am hopeful we can get GM back to thinking about the volume of cars we originally anticipated being manufactured at Ellesmere Port, around the 180,000 mark, which would be on the cusp of requiring three shifts.

“Magna pitched in with 125,000 and I said privately to ministers that that was not enough and we had to drive that up.

“We got that up to 145,000. But getting to 180,000 does two things.

“It maintains competitiveness and puts you in a strong position to argue in favour of Ellesmere Port getting GM’s Ampera electric car, which could be here as soon as 2012.”

The Ampera will initially be built in America, but Mr Miller said he knows Ellesmere Port management has already earmarked space for Ampera production.

Gordon Brown and Business Secretary Lord Mandelson have also lobbied GM for Ellesmere Port to build the Ampera, with the promise of state funding to support training and development.”

Prior to Magna being chosen as preferred bidder, Ellesmere Port union convenor John Fetherstone expressed his wish for the plant to remain under GM’s control on the grounds of “better the devil you know.”

GM’s original business plan for Europe favoured Ellesmere Port in any restructuring.

The plant is arguably GM’s most efficient site in Europe.