Vauxhall has confirmed plans to cut 241 jobs by the end of 2019 at Ellesmere Port to ensure the plant remains “competitive” going forwards.

Vauxhall said the Ellesmere Port restructuring was essential to ensure the plant remains competitive going forwards

The carmaker announced on Friday that it was entering a 45-day consultation period with the Unite trade union and employee representatives, and said it was committed to achieving the job cuts without compulsory redundancies; it added that employees could transfer over to its Luton plant, including receiving relocation support.

The official statement added: “This restructuring is critical to ensure that the Ellesmere Port plant develops its competitiveness during this difficult time within the industry.  The restructuring is necessary to make it a competitive plant when compared to the benchmark.”

The latest round of planned job cuts is the fourth at the plant in recent years, resulting in a reduction of the workforce of almost 60% to 900.

Vauxhall cut 400 jobs at the plant, which makes the Astra, in October 2017 followed by a further 250 at the start of this year, although parent firm PSA had pledged on the future for Ellesmere in its PACE! Performance plan announced 100 days after its takeover of Vauxhall.

Responding to the latest announcement, the Unite union called on PSA to provide certainty for the workforce by committing new models to Ellesmere Port. Unite regional coordinating officer Mick Chalmers added: “PSA should be clear. Unite will not tolerate the death by a thousand cuts of Ellesmere Port and will leave no stone unturned in securing the future of the plant and its skilled workforce.”