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| Vauxhall offers staff sabbaticals | Vauxhall offers staff sabbaticals |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Car manufacturer Vauxhall has offered its workforce at one plant the chance to take a sabbatical on 30% pay. | |
| General Motors approached unions at the plant in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, with the plan last Thursday. | General Motors approached unions at the plant in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, with the plan last Thursday. |
| Under the scheme, staff would stay away from work for up to nine months between January and September 2009 on less than a third of their basic salaries. | Under the scheme, staff would stay away from work for up to nine months between January and September 2009 on less than a third of their basic salaries. |
| A spokesman said the company wanted to avoid making any compulsory redundancies. | A spokesman said the company wanted to avoid making any compulsory redundancies. |
| He said it was "working with unions to cut structural costs and get us through 2009 without losing staff". | He said it was "working with unions to cut structural costs and get us through 2009 without losing staff". |
| He added: "We want to avoid any forced redundancies." | He added: "We want to avoid any forced redundancies." |
| Sabbatical offer | Sabbatical offer |
| If successful, the sabbatical plan could be rolled out at Saab, Opel in Europe and other Vauxhall plants in the UK. | If successful, the sabbatical plan could be rolled out at Saab, Opel in Europe and other Vauxhall plants in the UK. |
| But the company said it did not expect there to be a "huge take-up" on the sabbatical offer. | But the company said it did not expect there to be a "huge take-up" on the sabbatical offer. |
| Vauxhall employs employs more than 5,000 people in Luton and Ellesmere Port. | Vauxhall employs employs more than 5,000 people in Luton and Ellesmere Port. |
| In October, the Ellesmere Port plant stopped production for 14 days because of falling sales in Europe. | In October, the Ellesmere Port plant stopped production for 14 days because of falling sales in Europe. |
| Its workers have been given up to one month off over Christmas because of falling sales and the site is currently closed until 12 January. | Its workers have been given up to one month off over Christmas because of falling sales and the site is currently closed until 12 January. |
| Car sales in the UK have fallen overall by 37%, compared with the same time last year. | Car sales in the UK have fallen overall by 37%, compared with the same time last year. |
| That is an increase from October, when the comparative fall was 27%. | That is an increase from October, when the comparative fall was 27%. |