‘Canadian bidder would axe 800 NW Vauxhall jobs’
THE Canadian bidder for Vauxhall is planning to axe more than 800 jobs at Ellesmere Port, if it seals a takeover of the car maker, it was reported today.
Citing leaked bid proposal documents, a national newspaper said Magna International would sack in total 20% of GM Europe’s workforce and that 830 employees at Ellesmere Port and 354 at Luton would lose their jobs.
It is not known if these numbers are final, or the timescale.
Business Secretary Lord Mandelson visited the Ellesmere Port factory this week, which employs 2,200 people and is set to begin production of a new Astra model later Th’s year.
During the visit he praised the efficiency of the factory and said his department was in daily contact with GM bosses and the bidders.
The future of Vauxhall was thrown into doubt by the demise of its parent company General Motors, which filed for bankruptcy protection in the United States.
