The UK's leading union has called on Vauxhall owner Stellantis to rethink its plans to close the historic Luton manufacturing site following the shock resignation of its CEO.
Last month, Stellantis announced that it would be closing its Luton van plant and moving resources to the Vauxhall factory in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire.
The announcement, which is expected to see around 1,100 jobs lost, was met with sharp disapproval from Keir Starmer and Business Secretary Jonathan Ashworth, who said it would be a hammer blow to the community in Luton.
In the days following the announcement, Stellantis was rocked by the surprise resignation of its CEO Carlos Tavares, who was originally planning to step down in 2026.
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Unite is calling for Stellantis to U-turn on its decision to shut Vauxhall's Luton factory
REUTERS/PA
Now, Unite, the union for automotive workers, is calling on the automotive giant to suspend the planned closure of the Luton manufacturing base.
The union said Tavares' exit from the company would help "turn the page" on years of failed and aggressive strategies from the controversial boss.
Sharon Graham, General Secretary of Unite, said: "The exit of CEO Carlos Tavares is an opportunity for Stellantis to turn the page on years of aggressive anti-worker strategies which now threaten to close a profitable plant which is ready to produce thousands of electric vans next year.
"Unite shop stewards will table counter proposals to management this week, but workers cannot negotiate with a gun to their heads.
"Stellantis must withdraw the HR1 redundancy notices immediately so workers, management and Government can negotiate the future of this vital electric vehicle factory."
The decision to shut the factory came just months after Stellantis announced that it would begin manufacturing electric vehicles in the Luton plant from 2025.
In February, the group said Luton would become the second Stellantis plant in the UK to manufacture EVs, following the transformation of Ellesmere Port.
It said that the Luton factory would produce medium-size electric vans from major manufacturers like Vauxhall, Citroen, Peugeot and Fiat Professional.
Under original plans, production of electric vans at the plant would have started in the first half of 2025 and manufacture a number of vans including the Vauxhall Vivaro Electric.
According to Reuters, Carlos Tavares had clashed with board members multiple times over "radical" targets, cost-cutting measures and other "differing views".
Tavares and other high-ranking Stellantis officials had been vocal in their criticism about the UK's Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate which requires manufacturers to have a minimum percentage of sales come from electric cars.
By the end of the year, brands will need to ensure that 22 per cent of their sales are from zero emission vehicles, with targets rising to reach 80 per cent by the end of the decade.
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Carlos Tavares said the ZEV mandate would see brands 'killed with fines'
REUTERSSpeaking in April, Tavares said the scheme was "terrible for the UK" for restricting the sale of new petrol and diesel cars, while adding that car brands would be "killed with fines".
He added: "It's very simple. The ZEV mandate is [forcing] carmakers to have a growing EV sales mix every year. The problem is the natural demand of the market today in the UK on EVs is half of the mandate."
