Thousands of jobs in the UK are under threat in the wake of the collapse of American car manufacturing giant General Motors (GM). The company has filed for bankruptcy in the US, leaving the future of all its staff uncertain. The European branch of GM, which includes Vauxhall in the UK as well as the German brand Opel, has already been sold off to Magna International, a Canadian car parts company.  But although this means that both the British and German brands will continue production, a fall in demand for car sales and car leasing deals could mean that Magna will be making significant job cuts.

The worry for Vauxhall is that Magna is a relatively unknown company in the UK, with ties to the Russian vans company run by oligarch Oleg Deripaska and the Russian bank Sberbank. The Russian involvement has raised worries about production at Vauxhall’s Luton plant, where they make Vivara vans, could be moved to Russia, leaving the Luton’s 1,400 workers without jobs. The German government also had a part to play in ensuring that the takeover was a success, leading to fears that all the company’s German plants could be protected and that if cutbacks in production and staff were necessary, it would have to happen in the UK. However this is all speculation at this point as Magna are still assessing the situation before making any decisions and have made it clear that they will do everything in their power to protect as many jobs as possible in all areas.

For Vauxhall’s 5,500 UK workers, all they can do is to remain hopeful that the company will recover quickly after the takeover by Magna, who obtained the company over other potential buyers including Italian car manufacturer Fiat. Car leasing and car sales will need to improve soon for the decision to keep factories open to be viable. In the meantime for buyers interested in purchasing a car from Vauxhall, car leasing could be a better option as it enables you to choose from a wider range of vehicles, and is less likely to leave you in a difficult position if the company suffers any further disaster in the future.

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Thousands of workers at Honda’s Swindon factory have returned to work after production was halted for four months in response to the struggling car market. All 3,400 of the returning workers will be taking a pay cut until 2010 but are pleased that their jobs are finally guaranteed after the uncertainty of the last four months.

The factory was forced to close while the company decided on the best way of dealing with the problems caused by the global recession and the effect the economic downturn has had on the number of car sales and contract hire agreements. The car industry has been one of the worst affected and almost all car manufacturers are having difficulty staying afloat, but the situation at Honda and how they have recovered could stand as an example to other companies who are still struggling. Tamporarily suspending production at the Swindon plant has given them opportunity to discuss and make decisions about the company’s future as well as perform long-planned maintenance work. During the four months downtime the production lines were stripped down and rebuilt, and they took the opportunity to redecorate the whole plant, where possible by employees who had the specialist skills required for the job. 

But it’s not all good news. 1,300 workers from the Swindon factory chose to opt for voluntary redundancy at the time of the closure, many of whom still have not managed to secure alternative employment. And though the workers now have peace of mind that their jobs are safe, their pay has been cut by 3%, or 5% in management roles, for the duration of the next 10 months. The plant is only running at 50% of its normal capacity, with a predicted total production of 113,000 vehicles in 2009, less than half of the original 228,000 estimate.

In short, it’s a small victory but the company is not out of the woods yet, Honda car leasing and sales figures will have to increase significantly over the next few months if they want to avoid any further disasters. The new Honda Jazz model, due to start production at Swindon in September, should increase sales and give a clearer picture of the long-term future of the Swindon factory. Not to mention as the economy begins to recover buyers will be taking advantage of low car prices as across the board from Honda to Mercedes, car leasing and purchase prices are cheaper than ever.

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General Motors, one of the largest car manufacturers in the world, has filed for bankruptcy protection in America. For generations General Motors (GM) has been one of the big three car manufacturers in America and one of the largest in the world. Now the car industry is on its knees, and of the three biggest car manufacturers in America two have now been forced to seek protection from their creditors by declaring themsleves bankrupt. But what difference will all this make to us?

Well, for UK consumers, the answer is probably not much. If you have a car that was made by GM, there’s no need to worry about the future of your car and any parts you may need, as the company has not gone out of business entirely. After receiving protection from the American government, they predict the company will be reconstructed in as little as three months. In addition GM Europe, which consists of the British brand Vauxhall and the German Opel, has already been sold off to a Canadian company who have said they will do all they can to protect the 5,500 UK jobs at stake.

For consumers looking to purchase a new car in times like these, it could well be that leasing or contract hire could be a better option than buying outright, as it gives you more freedom of choice and wouldn’t leave you in the lurch later if the manufacturer did go out of business. Certainly if you are worried about buying a car by one of the main manufacturers tied to one of the companies that is at risk such as Vauxhall or Ford, car leasing could put your mind at ease.

Whether you’re looking for a handy little car about town or a fancy new BMW, car leasing gives you a wider choice of vehicles including those that may otherwise have been out of your price range for buying outright. Your contract allows for your estimated mileage and normal wear and tear to the vehicle, so your car won’t decrease its financial value over the course of the contract and when your agreement ends you get to swap the car for the new model of your choice. With the car industry in such a state of disaster, it could be the best way to make sure that any future disasters don’t affect you too much!

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