Union leaders at Ellesmere Port's Vauxhall plant have called for guarantees they will be given work on the next generation of Astra in 2009.

This is in reaction to the possibility of 1,000 jobs being put at risk by GM’s plans to restructure its business.

John Featherstone, TGWU leader at the Ellesmere plant, said the job cuts were ‘still speculation’ but meetings would continue this week to establish some clarity to the issue. However, he added he was ‘not over-optimistic’.

He said: "If they say Ellesmere Port will take the hit people would react as I would expect - with anger.

"We want clear guarantees about the future of Ellesmere Port and about the future of the next generation of the Astra."