Time to bend rules, Lord Stokes says
11 January 1974
Lord Stokes, chairman of British Leyland, yesterday appealed to his 170,000 United Kingdom employees to work with management to pull the company through the worst crisis Britain had faced for nearly half a century.
In an obvious reference to the recent militant statement by BLMC shop stewards he wrote in the group newspaper British Leyland Mirror: "Everybody has to play a part and agree to a temporary bending of the rules. Some old customs and practices will have to go out of the window."
Despite the crisis, British Leyland would go ahead with the investment programme planned for the next five years, calling for capital expenditure of between £400m and £500m.
British Leyland is now facing a new challenge from shopfloor representatives in its 56 plants up and down the country. This follows demands by the unofficial, but powerful, BLMC shop stewards combine for full five day week earnings in spite of the fact that only three days a week are being worked.
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