Leyland strike goes on despite deal

Press, 2 November 1981, Page 8

Leyland strike goes on despite deal

NZPA Londou Talks to avert a strike over pay at British Leyland produced a settlement formula yesterday but it came too late to avert a walk-out set, for a few hours later. Sir John Boyd, secretary of the Engineering Workers’ Union, said the strike would start as planned but unions would recommend a settlement plan to the men at mass meetings tomorrow. The dramatic breakthrough came after British Leyland’s chairman, Michael Edwardes, and 11 union chiefs had been locked in negotiations for 13 hours at the London office of the State tonciliation service. No details were made available of the proposals for bringing a quick end to the strike. The stoppage was set to go ahead amid warnings that it could result in an industrial catastrophe for Britain and cause the eventual loss of as many as one million jobs. B.L. had threatened to sack any workers who struck and close down the factories halted. The strike is over a company offer of a 3.8 per cent basic pay rise at a time when the British annual inflation rate is 11.4 per cent. The latest talks were believed to centre on the possibility of using productivity payments to step up the take-home pay of manual workers, which averages £ 100 ($226) a week. B.L. lost $BOO million last year and said it could not improve its last pay offer. The Government, which has poured $5OOO million into B.L. since 1975, said repeatedly last week that it would not intervene.