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Stellantis saves 1000+ jobs in Ellesmere Port

By Nagasunder in Employment News, posted July 12, 2021

Vauxhall Motor's parent company Stellantis has confirmed a £100 million investment plan to secure thousands of jobs in its Ellesmere Port plant and throughout the UK's supply chain.

The announcement of the investment by Vauxhall’s parent company Stellantis secured the site's future, which was questioned after the Brexit trade agreement.

The plant will now focus on electric vehicle manufacturing, as the sales ban on new gasoline and diesel vehicles will take effect in the UK in 2030.

Ellesmere Port, known as the home of Astra in the UK, will supply the company's Vauxhall, Opel, Peugeot and Citroen brands to the UK and export markets.

“Performance is always the trigger for sustainability, and this £100million investment demonstrates our commitment to the UK and Ellesmere Port. I particularly want to thank our highly-skilled, dedicated workforce for their patience and contribution,” said Carlos Tavares, Chief Executive Officer at Stellantis.

Vauxhall is supposed to have been exploring financial incentives from the government to help factories switch from gasoline and diesel vehicles to electric vehicles, and taxpayers are reported to have provided 30 million pounds of state assistance.

Mr Kwarteng would not be drawn on the exact arrangements. He said: "We have contributed an amount. But of course, that has been superseded and dwarfed by Stellantis, the 100 million that Stellantis has put into this investment".

Stelantis says there will be further support to enable carbon neutrality for the plant by the middle of this decade. It aims to be 100% self-sufficient for electricity, and work will commence shortly on potential wind and solar farms in the area.

Plans were announced to negotiate further investment to establish a new parts distribution center near the UK. According to the United Labor Union, as many as 7,000 workers in the supply chain depend on the factory for their livelihoods after Stellantis announced that it would not build a new Astra model.

"This is a day for celebration and the culmination of a years-long campaign by Unite's reps and members at the plant to secure its long-term future. Everyone at Ellesmere Port can now breathe a huge sigh of relief as they look forward to playing a trail-blazing role in the next generation of van-making in the UK", said John Cooper, Unite's Ellesmere Port convenor.

Source: ITV News