Leyland workers begin opposition to sackings

British Leyland Motor Corporation workers yesterday mounted their first moves in opposition to last week's announcement by the group that 5000 of them are to lose their jobs. A meeting of more than 1000 B.L.M.C. shop stewards in Birmingham passed a resolution expressing opposition to the planned redundancy and said there should be no dismissals until mutual agreement had been reached through the negotiated procedures.

Spokesmen for the meeting said afterwards that senior B.L.M.C. shop stewards. would be seeking a meeting with Lord Stokes, chairman of Leyland, in a bid to avert dismissal of the 5000 Austin- Morris workers. Mr. Dick Etheridge, the Austin works convener, and co-chairman of the B.L.M.C. combined trade union committee. said they recognized that the company should be profitable, but not at the workers' expense.

"We cannot accept temporary sackings to cover up management inefficiencies or for rationalization to meet their competitors. We should be involved in the reorganization to ensure that workers are not thrown on the scrap-heap". he said.