£41 m Albion plan
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hits expansion snag
TALKS are being held between Leyland and shop stewards at the Scotstoun Albion plant in Scotland to get them to accept a Ulm investment plan that could double the number of jobs at the plant.
The men are worried that the plan involves the ending of lorry production at Scotstoun and turning over to making spares for the majority of the Leyland Truck and Bus ranges.
A Leyland spokesman told CM this week that the dispute had arisen because there was a feeling of regret among the men over the ending of truck production, The men are also unhappy at the number of skilled jobs that will disappear with the finished trucks from .ccotstoun.
Production of trucks at the plant is being transferred to the Leyland Bathgate plant.
Leyland hopes the talks will resume in the middle of August and it is looking for agreement by the autumn. The plans are part of a £70m scheme to double the production of trucks and tractive units in Scotland within 10 years.
Most of the increased production is to go for export and it will be aimed at the European market.
The expansion programme for the Albion works is still subject to approval from the National Enterprise Board, but already it has sanctioned two E20m slices of the work.
The Leyland spokesman said that it was planned that the Albion works would become the division's major supplier of main components including axles, gearboxes and chassis frames.
Together with the Bathgate plan Leyland's labour force in Scotland could be doubled to around 16,000 by the mid-1980s.