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Vauxhall workers down tools

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25 February, 2001Members of the Transport and General Workers' Union staged a one-day strike at UK Vauxhall plants.

GREAT BRITAIN: In protest at General Motors' decision to end car production at its Vauxhall plant in Luton in 2002, a 24-hour strike was carried out on Friday, February 23, by Vauxhall workers represented by the Transport and General Workers' Union (T&G). Workers first downed their tools during the nightshift at the Vauxhall plant at Ellesmere Port, clocking out at 2 a.m. early Friday morning, instead of working until 7:00 a.m., followed by workers at the Luton plant, who continued the strike from 7:30 a.m. The T&G also staged an overtime ban over the weekend.
Vauxhall membership of the Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union banned overtime work from Thursday, February 22, until today, February 26.
With normal vehicle production of approximately 600 a day at Luton and 850 at Ellesmere Port, it was estimated that lost output at Vauxhall on February 23 amounted to 400 vehicles.
GM employs some 9,000 workers at its UK Vauxhall plants. With the company's decision to close down its car assembly plant in Luton, 2,000 jobs will disappear.