'Who turns screws' car strike threatens 10,000

DAILY EXPRESS

The jobs of 10,000 car workers rest on a crucial vote today by strikers in the "who-turns-the-screws" dispute. The 200 strikers will be asked to consider a peace formula hammered out last week by leaders of three unions.

But if they reject the formula and decide to stay on strike mass layoffs will begin almost immediately at the giant Standard -Triumph plant in Coventry. Already - the plant is virtually at a standstill with seven of the firms eight dollar earning models idle and over 700 men laid off. The dispute concerns an inter-union wrangle over who should tighten two screws on a new dashboard for the Triumph 2000 models.

So far the job has been done by fitters in the Transport Workers union and the A.E.F. Now members of the Vehicle Builders union claim the job is theirs. They have rejected a factory demarcation committee ruling which says the same men should continue tightening the screws. The peace plan involves the strikers accepting the committee's decision until a three-man team of top union officials has visited the plant to investigate the grievance.