More short time at Rover

By Clifford Webb

BL is increasing short-time working for 2,500 employees at its Rover car plant at Solilhull. The present four-day week is being reduced to two days to prevent stocks of unsold cars building up. A further 600 workers at Rover's Cardiff gearbox plant are having their week cut from four to three days.

Shop stewards have been warned that short-time working could continue until Christmas. Two thousand Land Rover workers were laid off at Solihull yesterday because of a dispute involving a single welder. The man who is employed as a "floater" (a reserve for absentees) refused to fill in for a welder doing a particularly critical operation. About 80 other welders stopped work in support.

DAILY MIRROR
Japan Drops BL To Third

Japanese cars overtook Leyland sales in Britain for the last time last month. Top of the best sellers were Ford with 24.7 per cent of the market. But the Japanese grabbed 18.01 per cent to push Leyland into third place with 16.23 per cent.

Datsun alone sold more than one car in every nine . The figures , published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders are bound to fuel new calls to restrict Japanese imports. But British car manufacturers were also quick to point out that July is always an exceptionally poor month as buyers wait for the new registration letter .