Hopes rise in car chaos

THE GUARDIAN

British Leyland expect 1100 and 1300 production to be back to normal today at Cowley and Longbridge, and at the Land- Rover factory in Solihull, production is expected to be back to normal today.

A lightning strike which disrupted Land-Rover production at Rover's Solihull plant yesterday was over by the afternoon. Production will be resumed today, a company spokesman said.

GLASGOW HERALD
Leyland Start Bathgate inquiry

An inquiry is being conducted by British Leyland into the operation of their Bathgate factory where 3000 employees have been laid off because of the GKN-Sankey dispute in England. Mr Ronald Ellis, managing director of the bus and trucks division of the company, will report the findings of the inquiry to shop stewards at the plant in two weeks time.

A company official said last night that the investigation would include sales at home and abroad, short time working and productivity. “The management are prepared and indeed anxious to talk about all the problems at the factory with the representatives of the work people,” the official said.

Some shop stewards fear that the findings of the investigation could lead to am announcement of a reduction in the labour force.
All the official would say on this was that the company did not “at this time” envisage redundancies at Bathgate. He did however describe as “mischievous gossip” suggestions that the company were looking into the whole question of whether tractors should be continued to be produced at Bathgate.

It has been suggested that a decision will be made on this in December and if it were decided to stop production it would take up to two years to phase out tractor production. A new range of trucks to be known as the Terrier, will be produced at Bathgate in October.