Long-Bailey demands assurances over Vauxhall sale as Unite boss set to meet business secretary today

Len McCluskey has called on Tory ministers work with him to protect thousands of British motor industry jobs before a crucial meeting this morning to discuss the surprise announcement that General Motors could sell its British operations to France.

The Unite general secretary is due to meet Greg Clark, the business secretary, this morning after the future of thousands of manufacturing posts were cast into doubt when GM said it was in talks to sell its European Opel business, which includes Vauxhall, to PSA Peugeot Citroen.

Gerard Coyne, McCluskey’s challenger for the top job at Unite, as well as Rebecca Long-Bailey, newly promoted to shadow Clark, have also spoken out over the proposed deal, which will be one of the first test of Theresa May’s “industrial strategy”.

The British automotive sector has roared back into life in the aftermath of the financial crisis and GM’s European business employs around 35,000 people in Britain alone.

“I am really disappointed and actually angry because only last year the president of General Motors (GM) gave me his personal assurances that there would be no surprises in terms of our plants’ futures.  These commitments have clearly not been upheld,” McCluskey said last night.

“But while this has come out of the blue, we are absolutely determined of one thing – UK plants will not be allowed to close.  I have no intention of allowing GM to walk away from their promises and our plants and workers.

“So my message to the workers at Luton, Ellesmere Port and the tens of thousands in the wider supply chain is this, remain strong and stay united.  The UK and the EU are among GM’s biggest markets globally – if they think that they can walk away from dedicated workers and loyal consumers without a care, they need to think again…

“I also have a message to the UK government, which is do not sit on the side-lines. Intervene, work with us to create a new future for these plants. The French government certainly is not sitting idle – they have a 13 per cent stake in Peugeot and they have given their blessing to this deal. We want UK auto workers to feel the same sense that their government is backing them. This is a real test for the government and its much-vaunted industrial strategy.”

Long-Bailey, who took over from Clive Lewis last week as shadow business secretary, said Tory ministers must push protection of the automotive sector “to the top of their agenda”.

“Workers and investors need confidence that this industry will be robustly supported by government for many years to come so that jobs are secure and investors are able to make long term decisions.

“I would also urge General Motors to work very closely with trade unions in progressing any deal to ensure that jobs are protected.”

Coyne, who is standing for the general secretary’s post at Unite, said: “This an industry with a supply chain that supports 30,000 jobs in the UK. Len McCluskey must tell the business secretary that no level of job losses would be an acceptable outcome of a merger between GM Europe and PCG. He must insist that ministers act through the European Union and with the European Commission to ensure that there is no question of the French government twisting the process to favour French jobs at the expense of the UK.”