Pressed Steel Strike Holds Up B.M.C. Cars

FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT
BIRMINGHAM, APRIL 17.

About 3,500 British Motor Corporation employees will have stopped work by tomorrow morning as a result of the strike at the Pressed Steel Company, Swindon.

The strike is holding up the production of panels incorporated in several B.M.C. models. In Birmingham, production of the A55 Cambridge and the A99 Westminster models is being especially affected. The night shift of about 750 men will not be working on these models tonight, and the day shift ceased work this evening. At Morris Motors, Ltd., Cowley, production of the 1-5 litre range and of the Wolseley 6/99 has been closed down until further notice.

About 2,000 workpeople have been affected, a B.M.C. official said. The 1,200 skilled men at the Pressed Steel Company's factory near Swindon decided yesterday to continue their strike, now in its sixth day. The unofficial strike is over the management's rejection of a 9d. an hour increase which would, the men claim, bring their earnings into line with those at the company's Cowley plant. The management have offered 3d. an hour.

THE GUARDIAN
ROVER NEWS

Sixty-five inspectors at the Rover Company's component factory at Acocks Green, Birmingham, yesterday returned to work, ending a six-week strike over an incentive bonus claim. With them went 400 production workers who had struck in sympathy. But, at three other Rover component plants, more than 300 workers were laid off yesterday because of a shortage of parts, caused by the strike, the men have been told to report back today.