Tuesday, March 03, 2009

Vauxhall Ellesmere Port may close without Government help, say owners General Motors

from the Liverpoolecho , article by Neil Hodgson

VAUXHALL’S Ellesmere Port plant could be closed down if its parent company General Motors does not get Government support, the company warned today.

GM Europe president Carl-Peter Forster, speaking at the Geneva Motor Show, said the slump in car sales meant the company would be left with little choice but to consider plant closures if it was not given state aid.

Vauxhall employs more than 2,000 people in Ellesmere Port. The plant is set to start building the new Astra in September.

Mr Forster told Sky News: "We are very lean in the UK, in Ellesmere Port, same in Luton.

"Obviously the next step would be the complete closure.

"Obviously that's what we try and avoid. But if we don’t get support from the Government we will have to close down."

The German government has already signaled it may support GM’s German business Opel.

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