Strikes

EFFECTS LINGERING

Production in the car industry was not back to normal at Birmingham yesterday, although the dispute which upset supplies of carburettors ended last week.

The British Motor Corporation had 6,850 men unemployed at Birmingham and Oxford. At the Rover Car Company works in Solihull, Warwickshire, 800 workers have been idle since Thursday but are due to report back to work today. Jaguar Cars, Coventry, were working normally Yesterday, but 950 employees will be laid off there today.

The strike of toolsetters at the S.U. Carburettors works over an inter-union dispute ended on Thursday, when the men returned to work while talks took place.

THE GUARDIAN
13,000 STILL IDLE IN MOTOR INDUSTRY
Shortage of carburettors

Thirteen thousand men in the Midlands motor industry will still be without work today as a result of two strikes. Although one of the disputes was settled last week, with the return to work of 21 strikers at the SU Carburettor factory in Birmingham, the shortage of carburettor supplies has continued to dislocate the industry. The British Motor Corporation had to lay off another 600 men yesterday, bringing the total number of workers idle in the group to 6,850.

A spokesman said, last night it was possible they would not be able to resume work before Thursday. Production has been virtually at a standstill at Morris Motors, Cowley, where 3,200 men have been laid off. Other BMC factories affected are Austins at Longbridge (2,650 idle) and Nuffield Metal Products at Washwood Heath (1,000 idle ).

Jaguar Cars, of Coventry, which, is also suffering from the shortage of carburettors, is having to lay off 900 workers today - although they will report back tomorrow. Eight hundred employees, sent home from Rovers in, Solihull - where car production came to a halt - will resume work today but it is not yet certain whether carburettor deliveries will be sufficient for production there to be sustained throughout the week.

The motor industry still faces threats of further interruptions to production from the continued strike of 210 maintenance electricians in the BMC factory of Fisher and Ludlow, Birmingham, and from the call by Birmingham members of the T and GWU for an official strike in support of a claim by day workers at Austin's, Longbridge, for a pay increase of 36s.