Weak UK labour laws are blamed again as Vauxhall axes 900 jobs

Unions have again spoken out against the UK’s weak employment laws following Vauxhall’s announcement of 900 job cuts at its Ellesmere Port plant — the most productive of General Motor’s European operations. The Merseyside factory will lose its night shift at the end of the summer.

The news comes a month after Peugeot said it was to close its Ryton car plant.

General secretary of the T&G general union Tony Woodley, himself a former Ellesmere Port worker, said UK labour laws enabled “opportunistic” bosses to make redundancies because UK workers are “quicker, easier and cheaper” to sack.

Derek Simpson, general secretary of technical union Amicus, added: “Job protection similar to that enjoyed by workers in France would give British employees the opportunity to compete for investment and work.”

Amicus has warned that it will end its £8 million car fleet contract with Vauxhall if the company decides to close the plant. The union said it will instead source its car fleet from a Japanese manufacturer which employs Amicus members in the UK.

At the time of going to press, union members at Ellesmere Port had unanimously rejected General Motors’ voluntary redundancy package.