Vauxhall plant set to face parts shortage

Vauxhall car workers in the UK were today told to check before arriving for their shift amid expectations that production will be halted because of a shortage of components caused by a strike in Germany.

Workers on the afternoon and night shifts at the Ellesmere Port factory were given a special phone number to call.

Astra cars were being built at the Cheshire factory but production could grind to a halt at the end of the morning shift. Office workers could also be sent home early.

The move follows a strike in Bochum, Germany, in protest at job losses announced last week by General Motors, which owns Vauxhall.

Germany is expected to bear the brunt of 12,000 job cuts, although union officials said 430 jobs will be lost in the UK over the next two years.

General Motors was forced to halt production in Antwerp yesterday because of a similar shortage of components.

Around 3,500 workers are employed at Ellesmere Port and those sent home or told not to report for duty will still be paid.

A spokesman for the British Transport and General Workers’ Union said: “Obviously we are concerned by the situation as it affects Ellesmere Port and we will be monitoring closely.

“The T&G supports our colleagues across General Motors and will not do anything that undermines the position of our colleagues in Germany.”

Production of the Vivaro van in General Motors’ Luton factory is not affected.