Axle strike bites
Page 6

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OUTPUT of Chrysler lorries has been slashed by 50 per cent due to the 16-week-old strike at Eaton Axles, of Newton Aycliffe, Durham.
The British subsidiary of the American Eaton Corporation, of Cleveland, Ohio, supplies about 400 axles a week to UK commercial vehicle manufacturers.
Chrysler, along with ERE, Foden, Ford and Hestair Dennis, has been forced to Look for alternative suppliers.
(ockwell
Hestair Dennis has been ible to meet orders by divering some of its work force nto building up axles from :aton parts or, alternatively, itting Rockwell axles where uitable, but output is said to lave been reduced by one fifth s a result.
Foden has changed its corn • uter programme to accomiodate the reduced supply, ut has 30 vehicles of the one -iodel affected lying idle.
'Jaye axles
ERF, too, has had to retructure its production proramme, but has taken elivery of extra units from an lternative supplier to help it ver the crisis.
Ford is at present using ave axles to enable outside ody building to be completed, ut is also coping, using stocks btained from alternative )urces.
Talks between Eaton m aagement and union officials -e taking place, but there is ill no sign of a return to ork.