23 Sep 09 11:22
'Too early to quote numbers'
Unions say plans by Canadian car parts company Magna to slash around 1,400 jobs at Vauxhall could be the death knell for its Luton and Ellesmere Port factories.
The BBC has learned that the new owners of GM Europe are planning wholesale job cuts at European plants with sizeable chunk being made at the two British factories.
However, the UK government is trying to play down the rumours and added that it working hard to make sure Magna retains the two Vauxhall sites.
Last week at the Frankfurt Motor Show Magna's co-chief executive, Siegfried Wolf, confirmed that 10,500 jobs would have to go, with 4,000 of the cuts in Germany.
Tony Woodley, joint leader of the Unite union, told the BBC: 'If these plans to slash jobs at both sites and cut the volume of cars produced at Ellesmere Port are pushed through, then make no mistake, Vauxhall will cease to operate in this country in six years' time.'
A statement from the government's Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) said: 'Speculation on job losses across General Motors Europe is unhelpful at such early stages of the negotiations. Every aspect of these negotiations is under very active discussion and the government is working to secure the best possible outcome for Vauxhall in the UK.
'It's too early to quote numbers. We have said that some re-structuring is inevitable, but we have had assurances from Magna that Ellesmere Port and Luton will remain open for the foreseeable future.'
