1500 Car Workers Made Idle

FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT
OXFORD. MARCH 14

More than 1,500 workers at Cowley were idle today because of a strike at the Pressed Steel Company which was holding up supplies of car bodies to the neighbouring Morris Motors Factory.

But the strikers decided to return to work tomorrow. The stoppage halted production at Morris Motors of the Morris Oxford, Wolseley 16/50 and 6/99, Riley 4/68. and M.G. Magnette for which Pressed Steel manufacture the bodies.

The 900 men affected yesterday returned to work this morning, but had to be sent home again at midday together with another 600. They were asked to report back to work tomorrow.

" But for unofficial strikes; the whole Morris Motors factory would have been on a five-day week this week, except for the Morris Minor which is on four days and three and a half nights", said a British Motor Corporation spokesman.

1,000 Rover Workers Laid Off
The Rover Company management announced yesterday that the Land-Rover line was being closed down yesterday and 1,000 workers laid off until further notice because of the drying up in the supply of components from the branch factories where there are strikes.

The 1,000 workers on the car assembly line who resumed work only yesterday after being idle since last Wednesday would be laid off tonight. Earlier yesterday production was back to normal at the main Rover works at Solihull, where more than 2,000 men were laid off last week because of the strikes at the firm's four branch factories in Birmingham. The strike began a fortnight ago when 65 inspectors went on strike at the Acocks Green factory over a pay claim.