Cowley backs strike against

Workers Press no. 846, 19 August 1972 · scan page 4

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A MASS MEETING of over 5,000 Morris workers at Cowley, Oxford, yesterday decided a one-day strike against plans to sell off a Leyland subsidiary.

The meeting heard appeals for support from shop stewards from BLMC's heavy transmission plant of Transport Equipment Thornycroft, Basingstoke.

A recommendation for a strike on August 28, endorsed last week by senior shop stewards from throughout the combine, was put by the Lord Stokes to stage BritishCowley stewards and carried.

Over 1,000 Thornycroft workers have now occupied their factory to stop plans to sell the company to the American-owned Eaton Corporation of Ohio.

Eaton plans to make about 350 of the work force redundant immediately they take over on October 1. British-Leyland sold the factory for £2tm.

The 50-acre site on which the factory stands has been sold to a recently formed property com- com pany, English Continental Property, also for £2tm.

Workers worried about the future of the plant itself point to the fact that Eaton's only have a three-year lease from E&CP.

This is just about the right amount of time needed to close down operations completely.

"This is the sixth factory sold by British Leyland in recent years,' Alan Thornett, deputy senior shop steward at Cowley, told yesterday's mass meeting.

'In three years Leyland's labour force has been reduced by 10,000 a year, trom 190,000 to 160,000.

"The combine committee took an extremely serious view of Thornycroft because there was no need for the factory to close.' The work was going outside the combine and out of the country, he added.

"The company is being sold to raise cash other capital investments in Europe. Lord Stokes is selling factories expand operations in France,' to The joint shop stewards' committee at Cowley had been unanimous in support of the stoppage. British Leyland could not take these decisions with impunity.

"You may think a one-day strike is insufficient.

Motors workers vote for stril e action another one for 20 miles around.

Without your support were