Cowley output hit by strike over Maxi

By R. W. SHAKESPEARE

There was still more trouble in Britain's strike bound car industry yesterday. All vehicle assembly at the big Austin-Morris division of British Leyland at Cowley, Oxford, stopped at lunchtime because of a one day strike. It was called by shop stewards in protest against the management's plans to introduce a four day working week on the Austin Maxi lines and cut production of this model from 1,600 to 1,300 a week.

The standstill affected all models produced at Cowley, where 29,000 people are em- ployed. Those on vehicle assembly were sent home, but others remained at work. Although less than half the workers concerned responded to the stewards' strike call, those who did included many from key production control departments without whom the assembly lines cannot function.

At the Standard Triumph International factory in Liverpool 1,150 men are on strike. All production of Standard Triumph cars in Coventry is stopped. The five weeks old dispute has caused the loss of more than £6m. worth of production.

In the other dispute at British Leyland's Cardiff factory a stoppage by 400 engineering workers has shut off supplies of gearboxes and axle units and halted the Rover 2000 and 3500 assembly lines at Solihull.