Opel/Vauxhall unions are demanding immediate meetings with management as the noise surrounding rumoured plant closures reaches fever pitch.
The European Employee Forum (EEF) has thrown down the gauntlet to GM’s struggling European division as speculation rises its German Opel plant at Bochum and British Vauxhall site at Ellesmere Port are under threat.
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Opel is declining to comment on any planned shuttering to address its chronic losses in Europe, but a meeting of its supervisory board is scheduled for next week, after which the situation may become clearer.
Nervous unions however, are starting to flex their muscles ahead of that board meeting, requesting management start talks at a European level and citing labour body productivity contributions of EUR265m (US$352m) per year in exchange for a deal ensuring no plant closures or forced redundancies until 2014.
“The Employee Representatives of [the] European Employee Forum of Opel/Vauxhall and GM demand management clearly reject public speculation and agree to hold immediate constructive internal talks in order to prevent further damage to Opel/Vauxhall,” said an EEF statement.
“It makes little sense to speculate on expensive plant closures. Such costly closures will make sure it will take years for the company to return to profit. Furthermore, speculation on expensive plant closures after 2014 is unacceptable as there is sufficient production volume for the European plants if Opel/Vauxhall vehicles are not imported from other regions.”
The EEF is also asking Opel/Vauxhall brands be developed in the marketplace, exports be increased and that vehicles currently planned for plants outside Europe, be brought back into the Continent’s sites sphere.
Speculation surrounding Opel/Vauxhall comes against the background Fiat might also cut the number of its plants in Italy, perhaps equally by two sites.
Fiat itself is reeling under a month-long strike by car transporter workers, who have halted production at several sites in Italy. Fiat has warned the Italian automotive sector is being pushed to “breaking point” as the strikes severely affect production.
