Oxygen Strike Now Affects 19 Plants

From Our Labour Correspondent

Another 400 employees of British Oxygen Gases, Ltd. came out on unofficial strike yesterday, bringing the total idle to 1,500 and the number of gas-producing plants affected up to 19 out of the company's 52.

A spokesman of the British Motor Corporation said yesterday that, unless the dispute were settled and supplies were resumed, all their assembly work would have to stop within 48 hours and 50,000 men would be affected. Nearly half the labour force at their Nuffield Metal Products factory has already been laid off and the rest may have to go to-night.

The Birmingham car body building plant of Mulliner's, Ltd., are threatened with closure by Friday if the dispute is not settled. By last night 3,000 men engaged on assembly at Austin's works were affected and 5,000 at Fisher and Ludlow.

The pressed steel car body plant at Cowley were dependent on dwindling stocks of liquid oxygen yesterday and their refrigerator plant at Swindon was affected.

Overtime work stopped at Car Bodies Ltd., Coventry, and Vauxhall Motors. Ltd., Luton. Oxyacetylene welding and oxygen cutting were suspended at Derby locomotive works and Derby carriage and wagon works by British Railways.

A meeting of strikers is to be held at the company's Wembley plant this morning where a vote may be taken on continuing the stoppage.