Strikes

FOUR-DAY WEEK FOR 700 WORKERS

From Monday 700 workers at the factory of Alford and Alder at Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, will be on a four-day week. it was announced last night.

The firm makes car components for the Standard-Triumph group, of which it is a subsidiary. The management said the men had been given a " full picture " of the situation and had accepted the need for the four-day week, which would affect day and night shifts. A spokesman said that the present situation might last until the end of the year.

Strike Over One Hits Hundreds
FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT
BIRMINGHAM, AUG. 30

Car workers in the Midlands are now beginning to be laid off as a result of the month-old strike of 21 toolsetters at the Birmingham factory of S.U. Carburettors. Ltd.

On Friday 600 workers at the Jaguar Plant at Coventry will lose a day's work because of the dispute.  The Rover Motor Company at Solihull announced today that a limited amount of short-time working would be introduced from tomorrow as production is being affected by the shortage of carburettors. No other details were given by the company.

STOCKS DWINDLING
S.U. Carburettors, Ltd.. is a subsidiary of the British Motor Corporation, but also supplies factories outside the group. So far there has been no effect on production at B.M.C. plants, either in Birmingham or Oxford. but a spokesman for the corporation said today that existing stocks were being used up. If the strike continued much longer production was bound to be affected.

The strikers, all members of the Amalgamated Engineering Union, stopped work a month ago protesting against the promotion to their grade of Mr Harry Venables, a setter operator, who belongs to the Transport and General Workers' Union. The toolsetters stopped work after Mr Venables declined to change his union. About 200 workers at the S.U. factory have been laid off and production is at a standstill.