When your future has been clouded in uncertainty for so many months, it is, perhaps, not surprising that when an apparent ray of sunshine breaks through the gloom, you treat it with suspicion.

So it was at GM’s IBC Vehicles plant in Luton yesterday, where the Vauxhall Vivaro van is made. “It’s probably better for us that they’re not selling,” one worker from the plant’s paint shop said. “We were only guaranteed here until 2013 as it was, and that may still be the case.

“But it’s better the devil you know, and we know General Motors and are happy working for them.

“We just wanted it sorted one way or another. I’ve worked here ten years now and things sound more promising jobs-wise after the news.”

Another worker said: “I think it’s a good deal for workers here in Luton and in Ellesmere Port [GM’s other British site]. I personally believe that since GM decided they were going to sell it, they’re actually in a better position after restructuring in the US, so perhaps they don’t need to sell for now.”

Pascal Valentine, 34, has been an engineer in the offices at GM in Luton for nine years and expressed concern that more jobs could be cut now than would have been lost under Magna. “GM may have to do a restructuring in Europe now. When they did that in the US, they cut about a third of jobs. Out of 50,000 workers in Europe, that would be a lot of people. Magna said they would cut less — about 10,000 jobs. We knew where we stood with Magna, but now it all starts from scratch.”

A paint shop worker echoed that sentiment: “This is bad news. If GM goes bankrupt, where is the money going to come from? If they find another buyer, then maybe people will be happy, but they won’t be at this bad news.”

Les Gibbons, 53, said that the saga of job losses and ownership wranglings had been going on at the plant for most of the 30 years he had worked there. “This has been rolling on for so many months and years that people know better than to get too excited. Will GM still make cuts? Will we still lose our jobs? We don’t know, it’s still uncertain. We’re just getting on with it.”

John McEvoy has worked in Vauxhall’s body shop for 13 years and said that the collapse of the sale would do little to alleviate the uncertainty at the plant. “It’s been worrying over the last few months,” he said. “I think we’re generally better off under GM and are probably safe until this model ends in 2013, but after that, you never know.”

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