3:51 pm, November 26, 2024
More than 1,100 jobs are at risk at Vauxhall’s Luton plant as owner Stellantis announces plans to shut the plant from next April.
However, Stellantis has said it is hoping to transfer ‘hundreds’ of jobs from the van plant to the group’s Vauxhall site in Ellesmere Port.
It plans to invest £50m into the Ellesmere Port factory where Stellantis builds Vauxhall, Peugeot and Citroen electric vans.
It is now in consultation with unions and employees.
The Vauxhall owner said: ‘Whilst strengthening Ellesmere Port as its sustainable light-commercial vehicle hub in the UK with the transfer of Luton operations, Stellantis remains committed to acting responsibly toward its employees in Luton and, if the company proposal is approved, will offer relocation support to facilitate employees wishing to transfer to the Ellesmere Port site with an attractive package, where hundreds of permanent jobs will be created.
‘Dedicated comprehensive job support, including opportunities for retraining for all employees affected, will also be implemented in the very active Luton area, just one mile from the international airport.
‘At the same time, Stellantis will work with local government and local employers to identify new employment opportunities within the Luton area for Stellantis employees who might be impacted by this proposal if it goes ahead.’
A Government spokesman told PA Media: ‘While it’s encouraging to see Stellantis investing in the future of its Ellesmere Port plant, we know this will be a concerning time for the families of employees at Luton who may be affected.
‘We have a longstanding partnership with Stellantis and we will continue to work closely with them, as well as trade unions and local partners on the next steps of their proposals.
‘The Government is also backing the wider industry with over £300 million to drive uptake of zero emission vehicles and £2 billion to support the transition of domestic manufacturing.’
This news follows Ford announcing that they would be cutting around 800 jobs in the UK.
In recent weeks Volkswagen also announced plans to shut plants and Nissan has said it is planning to cut 9,000 jobs globally.
