Mandy to meet Vauxhall
November 17th, 2009 by Richard Aucock
VAUXHALL Opel head Nick Reilly will today meet with Lord Mandelson to discuss job cuts and Government aid.
It will be the first face-to-face meeting between Mandelson, Vauxhall and the Unite union since GM US decided not to sell its European arm.
The BBC reports that the meeting comes prior to GM Europe revealing the fate of its European plants – an announcement is expected within the next 2 weeks.
Hence Mandelson’s meeting. He’ll be eager to find out just what GM has planned for the Vauxhall Astra plant at Ellesmere Port, and the Vauxhall commercial vehicle line in Luton.
GM, adds the Beeb, has already said these are ‘lean and efficient’. Which bodes well.
It seems unlikely the Ellesmere Port facility would be under threat. Less certain is the future of Luton. Any GM decision could rest on how much Government aid Mandy is prepared to offer.
The business secretary will be keen to underline the UK Government’s strong support of green technology – which could incentivise a decision to build the futuristic Vauxhall Voltec model at the Cheshire plant.
Union rep Tony Woodley will, for his part, be keen to ensure there are as few job losses as possible.
Car Dealer Magazine will bring you news from the meet as soon as we get it.
Tags: astra, GM, government, mandelson, Vauxhall