Cowley Car Plant Back To Normal

FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT
OXFORD, MARCH 21

Working will be normal at Morris Motors, Ltd., Cowley, next week for the first time since the start of the motor recession last autumn. A British Motor Corporation spokesman said in Birmingham today: "This will mean a return to the basis of five days or four and a half nights. A night shift is working on two models-the Morris Minor and Mini Minor."

This week three-quarters of the 8,400 labour force are working five shifts and the remainder are on four and a half or four shifts. The spokesman said: "Production is being increased to meet the improved demand. At home orders have been stimulated by the recent good weather and the ending of hire-purchase uncertainties."

Overseas a more healthy stock position was developing and there were already signs of increasing orders. "In particular we are stepping up supplies of sports cars to America once more."

Because of this it is almost certain that everyone at the M.G. factory at Abingdon will be back on a five-day week from next Monday. About 10 per cent are at present working four days.

THE GUARDIAN

Production at four Rover Company factories in Birmingham was resumed yesterday with the recall of 4,200 workers made idle by a strike which began three weeks ago at one of the companies component plants. But the official strike by 65 inspectors at the the Acocks Green factory goes on and nearly 600 men there, who supply engines and gearboxes for the main assembly plant at Solihull, are still laid off.

Work was resumed by 2,200 workers on the Land Rover and Rover 3-litre saloon assembly tracks at Solihull and by 2,000 at three component factories.