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Union bosses have welcomed General Motors' shock decision to scrap plans to sell Vauxhall, describing it as an "incredible turnaround" by the US car giant.
Tony Woodley, secretary general of Unite, said he was "absolutely delighted" by the company's announcement, which appeared to catch most people by surprise.
It marked an abrupt U-turn from previous plans to sell its Opel and Vauxhall brands to Canadian car parts firm Magna - a deal that had threatened thousands of jobs across Europe.
News that the GM board had opted to retain and restructure its European subsidiaries broke late on Tuesday night. In a statement, Fritz Henderson, president and chief executive of General Motors, said the decision to keep Vauxhall followed a more benign business environment in Europe and GM's improved financial health.
He said: "From the outset, our goal has been to secure the best long-term solution for our customers, employees, suppliers and dealers, which is reflected in the decision reached on Tuesday."
Retaining the brand was "the most stable and least costly approach for securing Opel/Vauxhall's long-term future".
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Mr Henderson added: "While strained, the business environment in Europe has improved. At the same time, GM's overall financial health and stability have improved significantly over the past few months, giving us confidence that the European business can be successfully restructured."
Restructuring costs are expected to run to around three million euros (£2.7 million) - significantly lower than the bids submitted, GM said. The now defunct deal to sell off Opel and Vauxhall to Magna had the backing of the German government, which pledged 4.5 billion euros (£4 billion) of loans.
Unite - which represents Vauxhall workers - recently announced an agreement with Magna in a bid to remove uncertainty surrounding the factories in Ellesmere Port and Luton, which employ around 5,500 workers. Both plants were given job security and a future through to 2013, which last month Mr Woodley said provided a good basis for a long-term future beyond that.
Following Tuesday night's announcement, GM said it would now be working with all European labour unions to "develop a plan for meaningful contributions" to Opel/Vauxhall's restructuring.
