Lay-offs after walk-out halts Rover plant

By R. W. Shakespeare Northern Industrial Correspondent

British Leyland has again run into labour troubles. All production at the Rover plant at Solihull, Birmingham, came to a standstill last night, with 4,000 workers laid off indefinitely because of an unofficial walk-out by 150 engineering inspectors from all the assembly areas.

The shut down means that all output of cars, Land Rovers and Range Rovers will be stopped today. The Solihull plant normally produces about 4,000 vehicles a week and is one of British Leyland's top' export earners. The inspectors' dispute over pay began more than two months ago when they demanded an improvement in their wage grade which now ,gives them a basic rate of £46 for a 40 hour week. Since then talks between the management, union and inspectors have been going on but yesterday afternoon these broke down and the inspectors walked out.

A company spokesman said yesterday: "Because we cannot work without the inspectors we have had to lay off the entire labour force from 4.30 this afternoon. The lay-offs are for an indefinite period."