PSA Group and the Unite union are in talks over the future of Vauxhall’s plants as Group CEO Carlos Tavares reaffirms his intentions to keep the operations open.

Carlos Tavares, CEO, PSA

The meeting comes some two months after PSA revealed its post-takeover PACE! Performance plan for Opel/Vauxhall, including keeping all plants open –  covering the UK too – and to undergo modernisation and “refrain from forced redundancies” to bring both Vauxhall and Opel back to profit by 2020. There will also be a focus on ‘electrified vehicles’ to turn Opel into a “sustainable, profitable, electrified, and global company” and combined synergies – many industry experts believe that consolidation and synergies are the only way the merger can work.

Today’s meeting with Unite saw both organisations look at how to work together and develop a roadmap to safeguard the UK plants and rebuild their performance – including plans for further, imminent meetings.

Len McCluskey, the general secretary of Unite, said: “I remain optimistic that we can work constructively with PSA, albeit with the uncertainty and confusion caused by Brexit being a consideration for the company.

“That is why I will also be pressing the business secretary Greg Clark, to ensure that the UK government does all it can to create the climate for PSA investment. I will be seeking a meeting with the secretary of state on this as soon as possible because there is no time to lose. The three parties – PSA, Unite and the UK government – must work together now to give our plants a future.”

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