Vauxhall Factory Closure in Luton: Employee Discovers Job Loss via WhatsApp

Vauxhall Motors, a prominent presence in Luton for nearly 120 years, is discontinuing its long-standing connection with the town. Stellantis, the parent company, announced on Tuesday that its van-making factory would close, placing 1,100 jobs at risk. This development prompts questions about the implications for the town’s economy and its residents. A forklift worker at the plant, who has been employed by the company for 10 years, stated he was “pretty depressed” by the news. He described learning about his job loss through a WhatsApp message from a friend, having been absent from work when the announcement was made, as “pretty rubbish.” The man, who spoke to the BBC anonymously, commented, “There’s a lot of people there, a lot of people coming up to retirement and youngsters – it’s going to hit the town hard.” He further added, “As there’s a lot of people that depend on Vauxhall to supply parts, there’s going to be a big knock-on effect.” He reiterated, “It’s going to hit the town hard. It will be huge.” He detailed how numerous companies supplied parts to Vauxhall, stating: “We have over 500 lorries a day coming to Vauxhall, from all over the place.” Being in his late 50s, he expressed belief that securing another job would be more difficult for him, but he had his “fingers crossed.” He added, “Luckily I’ve done other training so I can look for jobs elsewhere.” Rachel Hopkins, the Labour MP for Luton South and South Bedfordshire, characterized the news as “deeply troubling” and a “real blow” for the town. She affirmed her commitment to collaborating with the government, Stellantis, and Unite the Union to secure the “best solution” for Luton and its “highly skilled” workforce. She explained, “Luton depends on these high-quality manufacturing jobs to drive local growth and support national prosperity.” She continued, “The Vauxhall plant is part of the fabric of Luton’s heritage and vital to our local economy. For over a century, generations of Lutonians have worked there, contributing to the production of vehicles like the Vivaro van. These efforts have created jobs and attracted investment.” Professor David Bailey, a car industry academic from the University of Birmingham, observed that staff at the factory had worked “really flexibly for decades” and had gone to “all the stops” to keep costs down. He noted, “It’s not a surprise. Stellantis has been warning for some time how difficult it is to make parts and cars in the UK.” He mentioned that the company had previously urged the government to do more to boost consumer demand for electric vehicles. He remarked, “It’s terrible for [the Luton workers], we don’t know how many jobs will be shifted to Ellesmere Port (in Cheshire).” He also reiterated concerns expressed by Stellantis in July last year, suggesting that higher tariffs on exports to Europe following Brexit could jeopardize jobs. A spokesman for the government stated: “We have a longstanding partnership with Stellantis and we will continue to work closely with them, as well as trade unions and local partners, on the next steps of their proposals.” The government is also providing over £300m in support to the wider industry to drive the uptake of zero-emission vehicles. Hazel Simmons MBE, the Labour leader of Luton Borough Council, commented: “It’s a devastating blow for our town, it’s deeply destressing news.” She added, “We are ready to support in any way we can and will be meeting with the plant’s management and trade unions to discuss practical help we can give at this time.” She indicated that the local authority would inquire with the government about the support to be provided for the staff. Simmons concluded, “Vauxhall has been an integral part of Luton’s heritage, and this is a sad day for our town, but we are a strong and resilient town, and always bounce back.” Unite the Union, which represents workers at the site, stated that the proposal “has been a complete slap in face for our members in Luton.” The union declared, “We stand ready to support our members in doing whatever we can to ensure that historical vehicle manufacturing is maintained in Luton and we call on the government to do the same.” Additional reporting was provided by Andy Trigg, BBC News. News updates for Beds, Herts, and Bucks are available on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram, and X. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC does not assume responsibility for the content of external sites. Information regarding its approach to external linking is provided.