2,500 Workers Stood Down

Sydney Morning Herald

Tuesday October 21, 1986

MELBOURNE: GM-H last night stood down about 2,500 vehicle builders in Victoria and South Australia for the third time in less than two months.

A strike over superannuation by about 250 metalworkers at the Natra radiator company has cut supplies of about 2,000 radiators to GM-H plants at the Dandenong plant in Victoria and the Elizabeth plant in South Australia.

The dispute will go before the Arbitration Commission this morning although there will be no immediate resolution because the Natra employees do not meet again until tomorrow.

About 8,000 vehicle workers from several companies were stood down last month because of a dispute at a Borg-Warner plant in Sydney which cut supplies of axles and brake components to most manufacturers.

Like most automotive companies, GM-H uses the Just In Time manufacturing technique which involves daily deliveries of components as factories keep virtually no stock.