Sit-in protest at Leyland plant over lay-off payment

By R. W. Shakesneare

The three-day week arrangements brought a fresh problem for British Leyland at its plant at Cowley, Oxford, yesterday. Its 19,000 workers have been allocated Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays as "power on" days. Its workers were therefore not required to report for work yesterday. However, after a weekend meeting of between 2,000 and 3,000 " indirect " workers, those not involved in assembly operations-about 300 men turned up at the plant yesterday and staged a sit in until their normal shift ended at 4 pin.

The men said they objected to being " shut out " by the company and were pressing for the retention of a special agreement on lay off pay. A management spokesman said that the question of what was to happen to this particular agreement was being discussed with union representatives. British Leyland began car assembly at its Longbridge. Birmingham, car plant yesterday for the first -time since December 21. Longbridge is being run on a " split " basis with some operations taking place in the first half of the week and others in the second.