P.M. BRIEFING : Strikes Hamstring British Ford

Strikes by thousands of auto workers protesting a 10.2% pay increase offer have halted production at three of Ford’s British plants and have led to the layoffs of 10,500 employees, the company said today.

As talks resumed between union leaders and Ford Motor Co. Ltd., about 9,000 employees downed tools for 24 hours or continued indefinite strikes begun Monday.

Ford said it was forced to lay off other employees as a result because work could not continue.

An engine plant in Bridgend, Wales, engine and final assembly operations at Dagenham, east London, and an assembly plant at Halewood, in northwest England, were brought to a standstill, Ford said. Production was disrupted at other plants.

The company estimated that the strikes would cut production by 2,400 vehicles, or $15 million a day.