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Longbridge at a standstill

2 June 1973

By Clifford Webb

Nearly 20,000 car workers were idle yesterday as labour disputes already affecting British Leyland's Austin-Morris plant at Longbridge spread to Austin-Morris Cowley stopping all car production.

With new car sales in Britain still running at record levels, British Leyland is losing £1.7m worth of cars for everyday the strikes continue. It is now without production of both its "front runners", the new Austin Allegro and the Morris Marina. Production of the Maxi and 1300 GT has also stopped.

Eighty plant attendants, men responsible for stopping and starting assembly lines-walked out at Cowley yesterday over a grading dispute. The company sent home 8,500 assembly workers and 3,500 men in the adjoining body plant.

More news from the archive

Sun, 27 May 1973
Car production at the British Leyland Austin-Morris plant at Cowley, Oxford, was halted again yesterday because of the continuing dispute...
Sun, 27 May 1973
THE OBSERVER ALLEGRO KNOCKERS By Gordon Wilkins While the Austin Allegro was well received in Britain, some Continental writers...
Tue, 29 May 1973
Former BMC/BMH/BLMC chairman Sir George Harriman dies today. He was 65 years old.
Thu, 31 May 1973
DAILY EXPRESS STRIFE HIT ALLEGRO COMES TO A FULL STOP By David Jack Production of British Leyland's newly launched Allegro family...
Fri, 01 Jun 1973
By Clifford Webb Midland Industrial Correspondent More than 14,000 car workers were laid off at British Leyland's Longbridge plant...
Mon, 04 Jun 1973
By Clifford Webb Midland Industrial Correspondent The motor industry faces another week of massive disruption, with strikes halting...
Thu, 07 Jun 1973
Dispute which halted Allegro line is over The 650 press operators at British Leyland body plant at Swindon, whose unofficial strike...
Fri, 08 Jun 1973
By Roger Vielvoye British Leyland Motor Corporation has completed the negotiations for a complex reorganization of its manufacturing...
Sat, 09 Jun 1973
In the most damaging stoppage 80 plant attendants at Austin Morris, Cowley, yesterday unanimously rejected a company pay offer and...
Tue, 12 Jun 1973
At British Leyland's transmission plant at Ward End, Birmingham, the toolroom men agreed last night to return to work, a management...
 

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