THERE was trouble at t'mill in Burnley in January 1966, when 400 workers at Joseph Lucas walked out, following a bust-up over a cup of tea.

The strike only lasted 24 hours, but brought the town's newest engineering factory, in Eastern Avenue, to a standstill.

And it all began when a tea machine ran dry and management would not let workers use another.

A union spokesman had commented at the time: "Shift workers do not have a recognised tea break, but are allowed to use the tea machine when they want.

"A supervisor took the names of two assembly workers who went to use the tea machine in the canteen when theirs ran dry."

Within minutes the assembled department stopped work in sympathy and skilled workers in the tool room were quick to add their support and most of them went home.

Everyone except a handful of maintenance workers was affected.

The main unions involved in the dispute were the Amalgamated Engineering Union and the National Union of General and Municipal Workers and after meetings behind closed doors in a Burnley pub, workers agreed to go back the following day.

But one shop steward commented: "Many of the workers have been moved to the new factory from the Northbridge works and feel there has been a let down in facilities.

"The original problem has been solved to the satisfaction of both sides but there are still a number of others that we need to work out."