Unite members at Luton Vauxhall car plant have shown they’re not prepared to just accept the closure decision that was announced by Stellantis senior management in this pre-Christmas period. On 16 December a mass meeting of up to 500 workers in the plant clearly sent that signal. That message of defiance continued when Unite announced day-long protests outside the plant on 17 December. Hundreds gathered outside the main gate of the plant, effectively an unofficial picket line. Showing the mood of solidarity, workers told the Socialist that a whole number of car transporters refused to go in.
Socialist Party national trade union organiser Rob Williams spoke on behalf of the National Shop Stewards Network (NSSN) and brought solidarity to the workers. Rob told them about his experience of being a Unite convenor when, despite a massive battle, his plant closed 14 years ago.
We’ve seen in the last few months mass redundancies including at Tata Steel in Port Talbot. The demand should be put on Starmer’s government to take the plant into public ownership to save jobs and communities.
