General Motors Europe’s Ellesmere Port plant near Liverpool in northwest England is to move to three-shift operation in 2011.
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The move means there will be no redundancies at the 2,200-worker plant as part of GME’s 9,000 Europe-wide job cuts because “all current labour would need to be utilised to staff the third shift,” the automaker said.
The plant, GME’s launch facility for the redesigned Astra five-door hatchback, starts building the ‘Sports Tourer’ wagon version in 2010.
The third (night) shift would boost output from 120,000 to 180,000 cars a year.
A GME spokesman said talks were taking place today (27 November) at the Luton van plant and media speculation that around 300 of the 1,500 workers there would lose their jobs was “in the ballpark”. An announcement is expected today or on Monday, he added.
In a statement, GME said the consultation process with each individual manufacturing plant in Europe would continue over the next month “to finalise details of the forward plan for Opel/Vauxhall across Europe”.
“Plant and trade union senior leadership will now work together to develop the details of the plan in order to support the future strategy for Ellesmere Port,” GME said.
