AS MORE than 2,000 Vauxhall Motors staff went back to work following an extended Christmas shutdown, the struggling car maker is braced for a further freeze in production.

Workers returned to the Ellesmere Port plant on Wednesday after their annual two-week break was increased to a month following a slump in sales.

And with the demand failing to pick up, more “down days” are likely to be announced in the near future.

Back in October last year, workers remained at home for more than two weeks as production shifts ceased.

General Motors spokeswoman Jos Sharp said: “All workers have returned and the production line will be running as usual, but not at full production because the demand has not picked up.

“There will certainly be more down days in the future. There is nothing specific in place, we will respond as and when to the level of demand.”

Despite the continuing problems in the car industry, Vauxhall remains committed to avoiding the need for redundancies and is putting numerous cost-cutting measures in place.

One of those revealed recently is the offer of an eight-month sabbatical where workers can take a career break on 30% pay, before returning to start work on the new Astra towards the end of the year.

Ms Sharp added: “That is one of several measures we’re looking at to make savings, but we’re still right at the beginning of that process and no announcement is expected on that at the moment.”