GKN Sankey strike

THE GUARDIAN

Production of the 1100 and 1300 models was halted at the Austin-Morris factory at Longbridge, Birmingham, yesterday, and 1,570 workers were laid off . It was caused by a shortage of bodies from the Pressed Steel-Fisher factory at Swindon, where 540 men had been laid off because of the Sankey dispute and another 900 workers were on a 24-hour token strike in sympathy.

Nearly 400 men were sent home from the British Leyland radiators factory at Llanelli, and 270 were idle at the light commercial vehicle factory at Adderley Park, Birmingham. But 1,200 assembly workers who had been on strike over pay at the Austin-Morris factory, at Cowley, Oxford, called off their stoppage and production was resumed with the recall of 2,000 laid-off men.

Production of the new Toledo model, due to be launched next week, was halted yesterday at the Triumph car plant at Speke, Liverpool, where 1,500 workers have been laid off. It was the first major effect on Merseyside of the GKN-Sankey strike, although 500 men had been laid off previously, halting production of TR6 sports car bodies. The lay-off will cost Triumph production of 600 finished cars a week.