Plans by Vauxhall-owner Stellantis to build a new electric van at its Ellesmere Port site in Cheshire give the factory’s ‘world class workforce the bright future they deserve’, Unite, the UK & Ireland’s leading union, said.
Unite, which has long campaigned for new models to be built at the factory, said the decision ended years of uncertainty over the plant’s future.
The move to build the electric van at Ellesmere port safeguards more than 1,000 jobs and puts Vauxhall at the cutting edge of van production in the UK.
Speaking from the plant, Unite general secretary Len McCluskey said: “This is a great day and one that gives Ellesmere Port’s world class workforce the bright future they deserve.
“Unite has battled for years to secure the future of this site. Our members have been unfailing in their efforts, and I have lobbied Stellantis’s CEO Carlos Tavares and the top levels of government personally on numerous occasions.
“At times the uncertainly has been unbearable but these plans have ended that, with Ellesmere Port’s workers now set to proudly play a leading role in the UK’s green transport revolution.”
Unite Ellesmere Port convenor John Cooper added: “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.”