Opel Belgium workers vote to end strike

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BRUSSELS, May 10 (Reuters) - Workers at General Motors' (GM.N) Opel plant in Antwerp, Belgium voted on Thursday to end their strike after the company offered to produce two new vehicles there, union officials said. "The vote's basically been 50:50. That means that there's a resumption of work, although it's difficult because about half the workers do not want to do so," ACV union official Walter Cnop said.

A two-thirds majority would have had to vote in favour of industrial action for the strike to have continued.

In fact, 50.38 percent voted to resume work, union officials said, adding they would begin discussions about when exactly work at the plant would restart.

Workers walked out in protest against GM's decision last month not to build the next-generation Astra model in Belgium, as well as its intention to cut 1,400 jobs at the plant, about a third of the workforce, this year.

GM Europe on Tuesday put forward a deal that may ensure the plant's viability. It has offered to produce two models of a new generation vehicle for the European market, with annual production of 120,000 vehicles.

The Belgian plant had been producing some 220,000 Astras. GM sold about half a million of its top model in Europe last year.

GM's decision not to produce the next generation Astra in Belgium was another blow to the country's auto industry after Volkswagen AG's (VOWG.DE) decision last year to reduce the workforce from some 5,000 at its factory in Brussels.

Europe's largest carmaker eventually offered the plant the prospect of building the new Audi A1, securing 2,200 jobs, but only after workers had accepted longer hours for the same pay.

((Reporting by Philip Blenkinsop, editing by Erica Billingham; Reuters messaging: philip.blenkinsop.reuters.com@reuters.net; +32 2 287 6838, fax +32 2 230 7710; belgium.newsroom@reuters.com)) Keywords: OPEL BELGIUM/

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