Vauxhall is set to cut 241 jobs from its Ellesmere Port manufacturing facility as part of a plant restructuring – but says it is committed to avoiding compulsory redundancies.
The firm has entered into a 45-day consultation period with trade union and employee representatives, presenting a proposal to "align headcount and production costs with the 2019 production forecast and plans". The reduction in headcount at the plant, which currently employs around 900 people, will be 'phased' throughout the year.
A statement from Vauxhall claims that the restructuring is "critical to ensure that the Ellesmere Port plant develops its competitiveness during this difficult time within the industry". The firm is "committed" to avoiding compulsory redundancies, with the possibility of some employees transferring to the firm's Luton plant.
Vauxhall cut 400 jobs at Ellesmere Port last year and another 250 earlier this year, citing market changes rather than Brexit uncertainty as the reason output had fallen 20% in 12 months. This year has been the first full year under PSA Group ownership, with CEO Carlos Tavares claiming that the plant must close the cost and quality gap between itself and its European equivalents to survive.
There have been reports in local media that production line workers staged a walkout when the job losses were first communicated to staff at the plant.
Unite union regional co-ordinating officer Mick Chalmers said: "PSA should be clear. Unite will not tolerate the death by a thousand cuts of Ellesmere Port and will leave no stone unturned in securing the future of the plant and its skilled workforce."
The facility, which currently builds the Vauxhall Astra, produced around 110,000 cars in 2017 – 30,000 short of its 2016 figure.
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Vauxhall vs VW
No job losses would be necessary if British people bought the Astra instaed of the VW Golf.
I's east see why they moved..........
If everyone moves their production to a low cost country, they'll be no one working in the UK, & hence no market anymore here where those multinational companies can sell their dirt cheap made products at inflated prices!!!!! If the UK stops buying those cars made in Poland or Turkey the markets in those countries aren't big enough to support their production. (& then the multinationals will import their cars from India because it's cheaper than Eastern Europe) Just like with the shoe industry that used to make shoes in the UK, then shifted production to Portugal, then to China & now Vietnam.
threaten duty on EU products
I get annoyed with Uk factories closing as it is chaeaper to manufacture in he Old Eastern Europe, the punter still pays the higher price plus the loss to the economy.just like Witter Tow bars closing in wales and manufacturing in Romania or Bulgaria.
It is easy to see why they
It is easy to see why they move, if it is cheaper to build elsewhere, then good, let them go, it means the price of things will stay the same, not go up, if they stayed here, then the price of goods would rise, to cover all costs.Yes we would prefer them to stay, but because we are a world class country in many area's we have to pay people the going rate for that, yes it might mean more profits for the company to build abroad, but tahts the entire point isnt it ? if ROver were profitable, they would still be building cars, if they had moved in 2000 to a much cheaper country, even with the 25 and 75 they would still be here, but they wanted to remain UK Owned and built and they paid the price.I do not blame people for going to other countries, if i moved my company and it was cheaper for me to produce elsewhere, export cheaper, buy cheaper components, then i would move my company, I would off, but my margins have been trimmed from 56% to 32% in three years, because i am not raising my prices very much, in fact i only raise prices ATM to cover increased wages, NOT components.But give it another couple of years at this rate, i will be looking to move to a more cheaper area to produce, its either that, or go under, and the loss of my company would impact on not only 400 jobs in the UK, at the base, but a further 4500 jobs elsewhere that produce for me.Why is this, well, the Unions and staff have just become too greedy, rather than paying a reasonable amount, we are forced to pay over the odds to compete, and it is hurting, SO, you go get annoyed if you want, but a business is not there for you to whine about, it is there to produce items cheaply, to make a profit, to employ staff and to continue, where ever that is.
So, off you go and complain, you are the sort that would moan either way.