The problem of contact interaction of crack faces of in a set of collinear through cuts during bending of thin multilayer plates with symmetrical structure is considered in a two-dimensional formulation. Based on the rigid normal hypothesis, the incomplete through-thickness crack closure is investigated in framework of model of contact along a line and interpreted as the joining of crack faces at the outer surface of the plate. A boundary value problem corresponding to such a model is formulated for a pair of biharmonic equa-tions of plane stressed state and Kirchhoff’s theories of layered plate in domains with cuts. An analytical solution of singular integral equations is constructed for a system of two collinear cracks. The influence of material inhomogeneity and mutual arrangement of defects on the magnitude of the forces and moment intensity factors and on the distribution of contact reaction on the closed crack faces is analyzed. In particular, the values of the ultimate bending loads for contact cracks are compared in two cases of stiffness distribution, when the core of the plate is stiffer and more ductile than its periphery.