Castle Bromwich strike a breach of procedures

British Leyland said yesterday that the eight-day old strike by 330 press operators at its Castle Bromwich body plant was a clear breach of established procedure. Negotiations on the claim for increased standby payments would not be resumed until the operators returned to work. The strike has stopped production of Minis at Longbridge, where 1,250 men are laid off. A further 2,200 have been sent home at Castle Bromwich.

Car production at Triumph was disrupted yesterday when several hundred men were laid off because of a tally clerks' strike over manning levels and mobility.

Noise protest: Fifty men walked out of Jaguar's engine factory in Coventry yesterday because of excessive noise from a newly installed loudspeaker system. The company has promised an investigation but the men stopped work before the equipment could be altered.