Vauxhall workers out on strike

On strike: workers outside the Vauxhall plant in Luton

Workers at UK Vauxhall's two car plants are taking part in a one-day strike, in protest against the decision to end car production at Luton.

The action is expected to cause substantial disruption to the company's car production across the UK, and has already resulted in the loss of about 140 vehicles.

The strike began at Ellsmere Port in Cheshire early this morning, when about 4,000 workers on the night shift walked out at 0200 GMT, five hours before the shift-end.

Workers from the Luton plant, where 2,000 jobs are to go, joined them at 0730 GMT.

Around 80% of the Vauxhall workforce of 8,500-9000 workers are expected to participate in the strike.

"The pickets are out in force. Everything is peaceful and good-natured," said a union official.

Overtime ban

Of the three unions at Vauxhall, only one - The Transport and General Workers Union (TGWU) - voted to strike.

But its members make up nearly half of the 9,000 people employed at the two plants.

The TGWU is also staging an overtime ban at the weekend.

Members of the Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union will ban overtime from Thursday until Monday.

Unfair burden

The protests follow the decision by Vauxhall's parent company, General Motors, to shut one of the firm's Luton plants as part of a Europe-wide programme of cutbacks.

Unions, which last month began balloting members over strike action, fear that thanks to liberal labour laws, UK operations have been lumbered with an unfairly large proportion of the cuts.

Vauxhall, which denies the claim, has warned that the strikes are "potentially damaging" considering that negotiations over GM's future strategy in Europe are still ongoing.

GM earlier this month announced it is to build its new Vectra at the Ellesmere Port plant, guaranteeing £200m investment and safeguarding more than 1,200 jobs.