Unite reaction to General Motors’ intention to retain ownership of Vauxhall and Opel
Unite has today (Wednesday) welcomed the announcement from General Motors that it intends to hold on to its European Opel and Vauxhall operations.
Unite joint general secretary, Tony Woodley, said: “This is an incredible turnaround from General Motors. I am absolutely delighted with this news. It is fantastic news for the UK and right that General Motors does not break up its family and instead retains ownership of Vauxhall.
“The problems for General Motors were rooted in the US, not in the UK where our plants restructured themselves years ago, becoming the best and most efficient in Europe.
“In terms of securing the best future for Britain’s plants, we want Vauxhall to be part of a giant global company, one which is now successfully restructuring thanks to Obama’s intervention. Far better to remain within the experienced GM group than be spun off to Magna which simply does not have the expertise to run a global car company.
“So negotiations start again. Of course, restructuring will still be needed, but this is a business which supports well over 20,000 jobs and 400 component companies in this country. Our expectation then, is that General Motors will be sticking to its original plan for its EU sites, including the UK, and that this has not altered.
“We expect that all the governments of Europe, including our own, will now be asked to contribute to maintaining the business. This is a massively significant development and a far better deal for Britain. We expect our government to do all it can to support it.”
For further information please contact Pauline Doyle on 07976 832 861.
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