GM Magna Deal Off; BA Cabin Crew; Superdrug;

Tony Woodley Hails Magna Pull-Out of Sale To Magna
General Motors has scrapped plans to sell off Vauxhall to a Canadian car parts firm.
Unite joint general secretary Tony Woodley said of the General Motors' decision "We're absolutely delighted GM has taken the right decision for General Motors, British workers and British plants." An agreed takeover by Magna had threatened more than 10,500 jobs across Europe. But then GM announced in the US that "the board have decided to retain Vauxhall and move forward with restructuring".
Tony described the apparent U-turn as an "incredible turnaround".
He added : "The decision is in my view a fantastic decision. There's no logic in breaking up the company. It is best for Britain." Mr Woodley said there will now be negotiations with GM bosses over its plans.

Mr Woodley said: "The British Government aren't immune from what they're going to have to do to support this massively important British manufacturing company."

In a statement, Fritz Henderson, president of GM, said the decision to retain Vauxhall followed a better business outlook in Europe and his firm's improved financial health.

He said: "This was deemed to be the most stable and least costly approach for securing Opel/Vauxhall's long-term future."

The deal to sell Opel and Vauxhall to Magna was backed by the German government, which pledged £4billion in loans.

The Department for Business said: "We want to work with GM to understand their plan. We have always said that if the right long-term solution is identified the Government would be willing to provide funding."

Superdrug depot strike
Unite members at one of Superdrug's three national distribution centres are due to begin an indefinite strike over changes to pay and conditions.

Members at the Pontefract, West Yorkshire centre are due to walkout today.
261 members at the site are striking due to cuts in shift pay and other entitlements.

BA Cabin Crew
3,000 Unite members attended a meeting at Sandown Park Racecourse and voted to ballot to take industrial action over the companies threat to impose changes to working conditions, job cuts and a two year pay freeze.
Cabin crew were told that a ballot for strike action would close on 14 December, raising the possibility of a walkout from 21 December.

"We are not militant trade unionists looking for a confrontation," one said ahead of the meeting in Surrey. "We are all decent people from middle England, some would say middle class, just wanting to protect our living and look after our families."

Two years ago, a cabin crew strike was narrowly averted but BA had already cancelled flights over several days. In that instance, BA offered affected passengers the chance to take a later flight, transfer to another carrier or a full refund. The last time BA staff did strike was for three days in 1997.