Deadline set for Leyland strike

Press, 6 February 1982, Page 8

Deadline set for Leyland strike

NZPA London One of British Leyland’s biggest customers has delivered an ultimatum to strikebound Leyland Vehicles to end its dispute by next Friday, or it will take it business elsewhere.

J. C. Bamford, a Staf-fordshire-based firm that makes JCB excavators, yesterday gave the deadline — which falls three days before unions and management are next due to meet — after saying its engine stocks would run out within three weeks.

JCB buys 5500 engines a year woth more than SNZII.S million from the Bathgate plant in Scotland, were 2500 of the 12,000 Leyland Vehicles strikers are based.

Bathgate shop stewards are due to meet today to decide whether to follow the decision of 7500 colleagues at Leyland, Lancashire, and continue the two-week redundnacy strike indefinitely. A mass meeting of about 4000 of the Leyland men voted to stay out until the company was “prepared to negotiate meaningful alternatives.” The move came after the company rejected a union alternative plan to the company’s proposals to axe 4100 of Leyland Vehicles’ 22,000 workers in the next 12 months.

The management has warned that the strike could close the truck and bus division, and a spokesman called the strike decision “totally self-destructive.”