Flintshire AM raises urgent question in National Assembly on future of Welsh workers’ jobs at Vauxhall Ellesmere Port

Hannah Blythyn AM for Delyn has tabled an urgent question in the National Assembly on the future of Welsh workers’ jobs at the Vauxhall site in Ellesmere Port.

Over 400 workers at the Ellesmere Port site live in Wales, many in Deeside and approximately a dozen businesses are involved in the supply chain.

Hannah Blythyn AM said,

Today I’ve raised an Urgent Question in the National Assembly on the future of Welsh workers employed at the Vauxhall plant in Ellesmere Port.

Over 400 Welsh based staff are employed at the site, many of them from Flintshire  and around a dozen businesses in our area are part of the Vauxhall supply chain. Governments need to work with the automotive sector and trade unions to secure jobs and investment in the future.

Existing labour agreements indicate that jobs will be safe until 2020, but we need to ensure Ellesmere Port secures new projects beyond this time period. As we’ve seen with Nissan in the North East of England, the UK Government is not adverse to stepping in  –  they should take action across the industry and the budget offers a timely opportunity to act.

In response, the Cabinet Secretary for the Economy and infrastructure, Ken Skates said,

There is no doubt that uncertainty over Brexit must be removed in order to help Ellesmere port Vauxhall site. What is good for Nissan, should also be good for Ford, for Vauxhall and the whole automotive sector in the UK.

We believe that if Vauxhall Astra’s lifespan is extended, or if new products are developed for the supply chain in Wales, there are opportunities to grow.

Unite general secretary Len McCluskey said it had been a very difficult time for the workforce, but their union will continue to “work day and night to fight for their interests.”

It’s believed Business Secretary Greg Clarke received assurances there will be no change to pensions, jobs or production at Vauxhall up to 2020-21.

Ellesmere Port & Neston MP Justine Madders

“It is important to note that we have already had assurances from PSA that existing production runs will be guaranteed which will mean jobs are protected until around 2021. This, in reality, is little different to the position we would have been in had GM remained as owners” said Ellesmere Port & Neston MP Justine Madders. 

[miptheme_quote author=”Justine Madders MP” style=”text-left”]Now the new owners are in place, clearly work must begin in earnest to put UK production in the best possible position.

There have been significant challenges faced in the past but thanks to great work between the union and management at Ellesmere Port those threats have been overcome so we must draw strength from previous success.

There is no doubt that we have some of the most efficient plants in Europe so we have a good tale to tell and we should not underestimate the positive impact on sales that having a U.K. manufacturing base brings.

There should be no doubt that one of the biggest selling points to UK consumers is that Vauxhall is a British brand that supports British jobs.

That is something that I know will be stressed to PSA.

With the country now facing new trading arrangements after Brexit this is the first test of the Government’s commitment to supporting U.K. manufacturing in the new world.[/miptheme_quote]