NINE Vauxhall cars and vans from the 1960s to the present day came to London yesterday for a ‘drive-by’ of parliament ‘to showcase the best in British car manufacturing’.
The vehicles, all produced at Vauxhall’s plants in Ellesmere Port and Luton, were driven to the capital by workers from both factories, as talks continue over the future of the car manufacturer in the UK.
The convoy included the Astra car, currently produced in Ellesmere Port, and the Vivaro van which has been produced at Luton for the past nine years.
Unfortunately there was no vast crowd of GM Luton or Ellesmere Port workers waiting to greet the convoy, they had all been left behind, and no effort had been made to bring them, or involve them in any way.
The drive-by, organised by Unite, preceded a meeting in the House of Commons between a handful of union officials, convenors and shop stewards and some MPs.
Why the event was so small became obvious at Parliament Square.
Unite national officer Dave Osborne told News Line: ‘We are trying to secure the future of the plants, both at Ellesmere Port and at Luton.
‘We are waiting to hear the result of negotiations in Europe.
‘We hope to bring about a satisfactory result for our members.’
Asked why Unite opposed nationalisation, Osborne said: ‘We never said we were opposed to nationalisation, but it’s not appropriate at the moment.’
Asked when the union will call a mass meeting of its members at the plants, he added: ‘At the appropriate time, when we know where we stand, when we have completed negotiations, at the appropriate time in their progress, we shall do that.’
Unite convenor at the Luton plant, Paul Geary told reporters: ‘We have brilliant support from Luton.
‘The Town Hall supports us and we’ve 10,000 signatures on our petition.
Meeting
‘The outcome of the meeting today is to raise the awareness of MPs.’
He told News Line: ‘I know people have been saying about a mass meeting.
‘At the moment there is still a bidding process going on.
‘If and when we find out what the result is, that is when we will have a mass meeting.
‘I don’t think that nationalisation would work.’
In fact the vast majority of workers at Luton want a mass meeting called urgently and support nationalisation.
They were, in effect, kept away from Parliament, since they consider that the union should be doing what they want, and not what PM Brown and Mandelson want.
Unite noted that between them, the Ellesmere Port and Luton plants employ 5,000 skilled workers with some 20,000 more in the wider components and supply chain also depending on the plants for a living.
The ‘drive-by’ vehicles include a 2009 black Vauxhall Vivaro, a silver Vauxhall Vivaro mini bus, a red 5-door Astra, the Heritage centre van, 1966 Viva, 1970 Viscount, 1980 Cavalier, 1982 Chevette, 2002 Vectra. All were emblazoned with the Save Vauxhall logo.
