HUNDREDS of Vauxhall work-ers could still be on the dole one year after redundancy if they receive the 'same feeble' help offered to sacked Rover staff.

That was the view of union leaders when they discussed the 900 job cuts at the Vauxhall car plant in Ellesmere Port with MPs.

In evidence to a Commons committee, union Amicus condemned the package of retraining and reskilling given to the 6,000 Rover workers who lost their jobs last year as 'largely ineffective'.

As a result, one third of them were still out of work a year later - and many with new jobs were on short-term contracts and much lower pay.

Speaking to the all-party trade and industry committee, Amicus general secretary Derek Simpson accused the Government of pumping out 'propaganda' about vacancies.

Ministers claimed there were 4,000 skilled vacancies nearby for the 900 Vauxhall workers losing their jobs, but the 'truth' was likely to be very different, he said.

Mr Simpson said: 'I fear, in a year's time, half of those people (in Ellesmere Port) will not have got jobs, and those that have will not be in jobs that were supposedly available.'

Amicus put together a dossier on the Rover redundancies for the select committee, which is carrying out an inquiry into the wave of job losses that have hit the car industry.

Rover was followed by the announcement that Peugeot's Ryton plant in Coventry will close, and the 900 redundancies at the Vauxhall plant in Ellesmere Port, which were announced a fortnight ago by Vaux-hall chairman Jon Browning.

About £170m was promised to help the Rover workers but, Amicus claims, half of skilled workers were still jobless and 80% of those in work were in temporary posts.

The retraining offered was short term - running out after 12 months - and unco-ordinated, meaning many work-ers not living close to the Rover plant fell through the cracks.

The package did work much better in the supply chain, the union said, with just 11 of the 150 companies threatened with bankruptcy going to the wall.

On Ellesmere Port, Mr Simpson said he was 'delighted' by Chancellor Gordon Brown's visit and his pledge to provide every assistance possible to the Vauxhall workers.

But he added: 'When it comes to practicalities, it must have more impact than in the case of Rover. The assistance there was welcome, but largely ineffective.'

Mr Simpson raised the spectre of the death of the British car industry because flexible laws meant it was 'easier, cheaper and quicker' to sack British workers than those in the rest of Europe.

He added: 'At what point will the Japanese take the same position General Motors and Ford have taken and take advantage of cheaper labour in the East? I predict Japanese car firms will follow the rest.'

On packages to help sacked work-ers find new jobs, he said: 'It can be a brilliant operation, but the patient is still dead.

'We are failing to support industry.'

Employees are 'taking stock' of redundancy packages > > >

Employees are 'taking stock' of redundancy packages

VAUXHALL workers could decide by next week whether to take voluntary redundancy following the decision to axe 900 jobs at the Ellesmere Port plant.

Staff are currently on leave during the factory's annual shutdown and unions believe many will use this time to consider their future.

Last week the Pioneer revealed the carmaker had received an 'unprecedented response' to the redundancy packages at the North Road plant.

However, union chiefs have urged workers to reject the offers until the future of the site has been guaranteed.

A Transport & General Workers' Union spokesman said: 'There has been interest in the packages, but generally workers are standing firm. A lot of people will use this week to take stock.

'It's hard to say what workers will do but we should have more of an idea when they return from holiday on Monday.

'It's a personal decision and a difficult one to make. This affects everyone differently and many will want to speak with their partners and families.'

Vauxhall Motors says it has been in talks with individuals and will continue to do so during the coming weeks, although it would not disclose details of the packages on offer.

During a mass meeting the day after General Motors announced the plant would be losing its third shift, workers voted unanimously to reject the offer of redundancy.

Jobcentre Plus has said it will offer as much support as possible to workers who do accept the payout and will attempt to get them back in employment at the earliest opportunity.

A Department for Work and Pensions spokesman said: 'A support group has been set up. Other plans include a job shop and information events onsite, and access will be available to a range of services provided by partner organisations.'

Borough MP Andrew Miller says he's working closely with Vauxhall to find savings across the entire plant in a separate cost-cutting move to the 900 job cuts.