Strikes stop BMC and Jaguar

STRIKES STOP BMC WORKS
Jaguar men out

The threat to car production in the Midlands grew yesterday with strikes at two BMC subsidiary factories in Birmingham, a second walk-out at the Jaguar factory at Coventry, and a dispute at the Coventry works of Renold Chains.

At Nuffield Metal Products 200 press shop workers failed to report, following a dispute over piecework rates and waiting-time payments. A BMC spokesman said the workers were urged by their union representatives to accept the management's recommendations, and their unofficial stoppage would inevitably affect production at other factories as stocks in became exhausted.

The second BMC strike at Birmingham is at the Tractor and Transmissions factory, where 55 electricians and electricians mates, who stopped work two days ago, were joined by 265 machine operators. The electricians, who are backed by the ETU. are supporting a wage claim for 20 skilled electricians who are getting- £20 14s 11d for a standard 42-hour week. They have rejected an offer of an extra 12s 2d.

Second strike

The 400 trim-shop workers whose walk-out stopped car assembly at the Coventry factory of Jaguar cars on Thursday returned to work yesterday morning but walked out on strike again in the afternoon. They walked out after the firm had refused their request for an immediate and favourable answer to their claim for increased piecework pay. Assembly remains at a standstill.

At the factory of the Pressed Steel Company at Cowley, Oxford, 200 workers were sent home yesterday because of the strike at Jaguars.