General Motors has announced plans to eliminate 30,000 jobs at its North American plants–about 9 percent of its total work force. It is the largest single US layoff since K-Mart cut 37,000 jobs in 2003. GM Chairman and CEO Richard Wagoner announced the layoffs on Monday. The United Auto Workers called the layoffs devastating and urged GM to start offering products that consumers find attractive, exciting and want to buy. UAW President Ron Gettelfinger said “Workers have no control over GM’s capital investment, product development, design, marketing and advertising decisions. Unfortunately, it is workers, their families and our communities that are being forced to suffer because of the failures of others.”