( CNN ) -- Thousands of Opel workers went on strike in Germany on Thursday in protest at the decision by U.S. parent General Motors to abandon the sale of the automaker . GM shocked German public officials when it announced earlier this week its decision to keep its European Opel and Vauxhall units and cancel a planned sale to Canadian firm Magna . If Magna had bought GM 's European operations thousands would have lost their jobs in Spain and at Vauxhall plants in Britain . After the announcement there were celebrations in Britain but fury in Germany , where thousands of workers fear they will face the axe . `` We want Opel to continue to exist , '' Hesse state Premier Roland Koch -- one of the biggest lobbyists for a sale to Magna and its Russian partner Sberbank -- told rallying workers at Opel headquarters in Ruesselsheim on Thursday , according to Reuters.com . `` We will have to fight again with the goal of saving jobs . '' GM announced a restructuring plan for Opel that would include cuts of as many as 10,000 jobs at the European subsidiary . About half of Opel 's 50,000 workers are based in Germany . The U.S. car giant confirmed in a statement to CNN that its revised viability plan for Opel `` will likely include cuts in that range . '' Jürgen Rüttgers , premier of North Rhine-Westphalia state , where GM proposes closing a factory , told the Financial Times : `` General Motors ' behaviour shows the ugly face of turbo-capitalism . That is completely unacceptable . '' German Opel workers reject GM 's restructuring plan for the company , which they believe will see a drain of vehicle development from Germany to the United States , Lorenz said . Employees in Germany are not only unwilling to accept pay cuts moving forward , but they will also demand to be paid for concessions they have made , like giving up a scheduled pay rise in May , their 2008 Christmas bonus , and vacation pay for 2009 , Lorenz said . GM promised to work with all the European labor unions on a plan for Opel 's restructuring . The GM board of directors said an improving business environment over the past few months and the importance of Opel and its British brand , Vauxhall , to GM 's global strategy were reasons to retain Opel . The board said it would begin restructuring its European operations `` in earnest '' instead , according to a news release issued late Tuesday . GM 's decision is a setback for Magna , which agreed to purchase Opel and Vauxhall in September in a deal brokered by German Chancellor Angela Merkel . General Motors said in March that it wanted to sell Opel after it reported an annual loss of $ 30.9 billion for 2008 . Opel , together with Vauxhaull , is the fourth-largest car brand in Europe after Volkswagen , Ford , and Renault . It is also GM 's largest-selling brand in Europe by far , representing more than 70 percent of GM 's European sales . While GM 's decision may still mean layoffs as it restructures its European businesses , it may safeguard jobs in the short-term . Employees at the Vauxhall plant in Ellesmere Port , England , welcomed the news . `` I think it 's a good idea , really , because a lot of people will have jobs , '' one employee told Sky News . `` We 've had a three-day week now for ages , '' said another man . `` We 've lost money , so now we 're going to start getting some back . '' The head of the Unite union , which represents Vauxhall workers , said he was `` absolutely delighted '' that GM will retain ownership of the brand . `` GM was once the biggest company in the world and we have no reason to believe that it can not restructure itself to address its present difficulties , '' Unite Joint General Secretary Tony Woodley said . `` My worry is that they would be forced to spin off their UK business to Magna , which simply does not have the expertise to run a global car company . '' CNN 's Fred Pleitgen in Berlin , Germany , contributed to this report .
Opel workers in Germany strike Thursday over GM 's decision to abandon sale of automaker . GM 's Opel restructuring plan could eliminate as many as 500 jobs . U.S. parent company says improving business environment behind its decision not to sell Opel . GM said in March it plans to sell Opel after reporting losses of $ 30.9 billion .