Workers at car plant Vauxhall expect to be told today that 1,000 jobs are to be axed, pouring more gloom on to the British motor industry.

Company officials will meet local union leaders at the Ellesmere Port factory for early-morning talks on future production levels of the Astra model.

Unions fear that one of the three shifts at the plant will be axed, cutting almost a third of the workforce.

Chancellor Gordon Brown and Trade and Industry Secretary Alistair Darling are expected to visit the factory shortly after the announcement is made.

They are set to stress Government support for the car industry.

National leaders of the Transport and General Workers Union and Amicus will also be at the site to argue that Ellesmere Port had a future.

Derek Simpson, general secretary of Amicus, said the loss of jobs at Peugeot's plant near Coventry, sports car maker TVR at Blackpool and the expected axing of 1,000 jobs at the Vauxhall plant were linked to the ease with which employers could sack workers in this country.

Mr Simpson said: "Britain has highly-skilled workers and the most productive plants as well as the biggest market for motor vehicles.

"Yet UK workers are the first to be laid off because weak UK labour laws are being exploited by employers.

"The Government must take action to protect British manufacturing employment.

"Job protection similar to that enjoyed by workers in France would give British employees the opportunity to compete for investment and work."

Amicus said its research showed that when manufacturing workers were made redundant they rarely found another comparable job.

Two thirds did not find a job within a year and of those who did find work many were on 40 per cent lower pay.

More than one million manufacturing jobs have been lost since Labour first came to power in 1997.

Amicus has already warned Vauxhall it would end its £8m contract with the company and deal with one of its rivals if it makes significant job losses at Ellesmere Port.