Archive : The Engineering Dispute Rumbles on

THE GUARDIAN
The Engineering Dispute Rumbles on
By John Ardill

British Leyland has 8,000 workers idle , on strike or laid off ,as it tries to get back to normal after the strike by production workers on Monday and Tuesday, called out as part of the national engineering workers stoppage.

The decision by Leyland Vehicles, the bus and truck division, to lay off indefinitely about 1,100 assembly workers at Bathgate in Scotland flows from disruption, caused by the national dispute. It may be followed by lay-offs at other bus and truck plants. Problems at Bathgate have been exacerbated by a local strike over a regrading dispute, said a Leyland spokesman.

The Jaguar-Rover-Triumph division of BL Cars has laid off 300 workers on the MGB assembly line at Abingdon because of a shortage of parts caused by the national dispute. They are men who worked normally during the two-day stoppage. At Coventry, 3,000 Rover saloon assembly workers walked out yesterday in protest at new manning levels and assignments after the recent closure of one assembly line.

At Longbridge, Birmingham; 3,600 Mini and Allegro assembly workers were sent home because of two disputes. The leader of the abortive anti-strike movement at Longbridge, Mr Mike Savage, told his supporters yesterday that he was giving-up his job rather than face a board of inquiry called by his union the Transport and General Workers.

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Keith Adams

Editor and creator AROnline at AROnline

Created www.austin-rover.co.uk in 2001 and built it up to become the world's foremost reference source for all things BMC, Leyland and Rover Group, before renaming it AROnline in 2007.

Is the Editor of the Parkers website and price guide, formerly editor of Classic Car Weekly, and launch editor/creator of Modern Classics magazine. Has contributed to various motoring titles including Octane, Practical Classics, Evo, Honest John, CAR magazine, Autocar, Pistonheads, Diesel Car, Practical Performance Car, Performance French Car, Car Mechanics, Jaguar World Monthly, MG Enthusiast, Modern MINI, Practical Classics, Fifth Gear Website, Radio 4, and the the Motoring Independent...

Likes 'conditionally challenged' motors and taking them on unfeasible adventures all across Europe.

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