Jaguar refute layoffs complaint

By Clifford Webb

Jaguar management last night refuted complaints by employees that they had been laid off so frequently-mainly through component shortages, that they had only worked 11 full weeks this year. As reported in Business News on Wednesday, they claimed that this inability to work regularly was a major cause of their staying out so long to secure the highest possible weekly wage.

Mr Harry Adey, Jaguar's industrial relations director, said: "It just not true to say that they have only worked 11 full weeks through layoffs of any kind. As for being laid off frequently because of shortages of components, I can say categorically that in the last two years no one has been laid off because of component problems unless the shortage was caused by a dispute at one of our own factories. Of course, we have some shortages which may reduce production, but we do not send men home unless there is a major shortage such as resulted from the Pilkington glass strike."

In a review of production since January 1st this year, he said there were a number of layoffs in January caused by a two week- strike of engine assemblers at the company's Radford (Daimler) works. In February there was serious interference for three weeks because of the miners' strike and power cuts. In March and April there were no lay-offs. In May some time was lost because of a strike by a section of men who also took part in the recent strike. There was a further stoppage in June for about a day, again because of a strike by some assembly workers.

"It can be seen from this record that in no case was management responsible for the lay-offs."