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12 December, 2000Vauxhall unions will resist by whatever means the closure of the Luton plant.
GREAT BRITAIN: Workers at the General Motors Vauxhall plant in Luton have taken strike action in protest at the announced shutdown of this facility in 2002. Yesterday, December 12, in announcing a huge restructuring plan in which it intends to cut 10,000 jobs in North America and Europe, GM said it will close all carmaking at its Vauxhall plant at Luton, with the loss of 2,000 jobs.
In a joint notice issued on behalf of all Vauxhall trade unions and following a meeting held today in the Luton plant, representatives of all hourly and staff trade unions at all UK locations declared their intention to resist "by whatever means" the closure of the Luton plant. "This declaration has the support of the General Motors European Works Council as reaffirmed at a meeting held yesterday in Zurich. This reaffirmation underpins the clear statement made by the trade unions at the European Works Council meeting held in October of this year that plant closures would not be tolerated anywhere in Europe."
Management has been informed that its total plan for Europe is unacceptable and an emergency meeting of the full European Manufacturing Committee has been called in order to develop a trade union strategy to resist the proposals made by General Motors Corporation. "The interests of the membership are of paramount importance in this matter."
In a joint notice issued on behalf of all Vauxhall trade unions and following a meeting held today in the Luton plant, representatives of all hourly and staff trade unions at all UK locations declared their intention to resist "by whatever means" the closure of the Luton plant. "This declaration has the support of the General Motors European Works Council as reaffirmed at a meeting held yesterday in Zurich. This reaffirmation underpins the clear statement made by the trade unions at the European Works Council meeting held in October of this year that plant closures would not be tolerated anywhere in Europe."
Management has been informed that its total plan for Europe is unacceptable and an emergency meeting of the full European Manufacturing Committee has been called in order to develop a trade union strategy to resist the proposals made by General Motors Corporation. "The interests of the membership are of paramount importance in this matter."