IN BRIEF
Page 8
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• "Government meddling" in state-owned Leyland Trucks during the 1960s and 1970s took away the independence of "one of the finest truck makers in the world" and slowed the recovery of the UK CV industry, Trade Minister Alan Clark said in Parliament last week. He added that the industry's revival was "now clearly evident" with trade figures, 230 million ahead of last year's results.
• Tipper-thieves snatched an owner-driver's Scammel Constructor in a weekend raid at ARC's Rowfont depot, near Crawley, West Sussex. The eight-wheel tipper, registration A654 NKM, was last seen at noon on Saturday, 16 January. The yellow vehicle, with the company's black lettering, has engine number 69136 and chassis number 70913. Anyone with information should contact local police or Mrs Goord at ARC, on (0444) 440075.
• Strike action at Ford looks increasingly likely following the break-up of the fifth round of pay discussions between Ford and the unions on a three-year pay deal. Ford's 32,500 manual workers will be urged to vote for industrial action by their unions when they vote in a national secret ballot this week. Results of the ballot are expected by the end of the month, and strike action would probably affect production of Escort and Transit vans.
• Plans to build an eightlane toll motorway under the Thames and a suspended-deck ring road above the M25 have been published by engineering group Costain. The company describes the proposals for a 24,000 million submerged motorway "tube" between Chiswick and Blackwall and the orbital Capital Expressway as "conceptual".