Triumph strikers stay out

British Leyland's strike problems at first eased yesterday but then became more serious. In the morning, 130 storemen at the car body factory of Pressed Steel Fisher at Washwood Heath, Birmingham, decided to return to work and normal production was resumed after 2,400 other workers, who had been laid off, went back. But later 1150 men, who are on strike from the Standard-Triumph body building plant at Speke, Liverpool, voted to stay out, despite pleas from union officials.

Last night. Standard-Triumph said in a statement that the decision was a "tragedy" and would result in the progressive laying off of 12,000 other workers in the group. 9,000 of them at the main assembly plant at Coventry. Production is almost certain to grind to a halt next week, resulting in the loss of 2400 cars a week. All the group's models, including the main export winners, the TR 6 and the 1300, will be affected.