Unite’s leader Len McCluskey says that Unite “will not allow” Peugoet owners PSA Group “to continue to enjoy their healthy share of the UK market”.
Len McCluskey, the general secretary of Britain’s largest union Unite, has revealed on Twitter that he is set to meet PSA’s chief executive Carlos Tavares in the next two weeks and that Unite “will not allow PSA to close a healthy plant”.
McCluskey said:
I will make it crystal clear to the PSA boss Carlos Tavares that if there is any attempt to close the Ellesmere Port Vauxhall plant we will make sure their UK market in the UK is finished for good.
PSA says there needs to be changes for Ellesmere Port to remain. If they commit to a new model then we will sit down and talk about change.
Following these comments, McCluskey took to Twitter to issue a warning to PSA:
Our members at Ellesmere Port must be feeling punch-drunk at moment. But as I told @bbcmerseyside they should not be defeatist. I’m going to France in the next fortnight to meet with Carlos Tavares to tell him that we will not allow PSA to close a healthy UK plant. #strongunion
— Len McCluskey (@LenMcCluskey1) January 9, 2018
PSA says there needs to be changes for Ellesmere Port to remain. If they commit to a new model then we will sit down and talk about change. Otherwise .@unitetheunion will not allow them to continue to enjoy their healthy share of the UK market. #strongunion @bbcmerseyside
— Len McCluskey (@LenMcCluskey1) January 9, 2018
PSA Group, which owns Peugeot and last year took over the European arm of General Motors which includes Vauxhall, revealed earlier this week that a further 250 redundancies are required at the Ellesmere Port car plant – in addition to the 400 they announced last autumn.
PSA said that it needed to “accelerate the recovery of plant productivity in order to meet the challenges ahead”, with the aim to move all plant staff to just one production shift.
Vauxhall has said that it will carry out a 45-day consultation with the workforce in an effort to minimise the impact of the proposed cuts, while also reiterating its “continued commitment” to the Astra plant at Ellesmere Port.
In response to the proposed extra 250 redundancies at Ellesmere Port, Unite called the extra job losses “a blow to to a world class workforce, which would be felt throughout the supply chain” and vowed to “leave no stone unturned in securing the long term future of Ellesmere Port.”
McCluskey said in a statement on Monday:
This is an additional blow to a world class workforce that is one of the most efficient in the industry. PSA must provide investment guarantees on new models for Ellesmere Port as a matter of urgency.
The government must play its part too and provide guarantees on frictionless trade after Brexit. Its current red lines on the customs union and single market will do little to instil business confidence and unlock the investment needed.
We ask that ministers give PSA and other manufacturers a clear signal that government will do all it needs to support this crucial sector through the Brexit process.
Unite’s priority is to support our members and protect this plant. We will not tolerate compulsory redundancies and Unite will leave no stone unturned in securing the long term future of Ellesmere Port and the highly skilled workforce. It is one of the jewels in our manufacturing crown and will not be allowed to wither on the vine.
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