british leyland workers sleeping
Pay and Contract. We must develop a campaign that involves every BL worker, every component worker and the wider Labour movement. However, despite this rallying call and a walkout by thousands of workers in support of their dismissed convenor, an official strike vote failed. BLMC was created in 1968 by the merger of British Motor Holdings (BMH) and Leyland Motor Corporation (LMC), encouraged by the Wilson . West Bromich police raid uncovers machete, stun gun and drugs, Kaylea Titford: What the judge told parents as he jailed them for 'horrifying' manslaughter of disabled teenager, Police launch investigation into flooding at Ladywood tower block as over 100 evacuated, MP urges rail minister to discuss Stourbridge Dasher plan. Permanent Salary: 27,043 - 33,453pa; Hours: Monday - Friday 09:00-17:00 Friday 09:00 - 14:00; Person Specification Whatexactly happened and whenare not easy to decipher. With 'Red Robbo' now out of the picture the Austin Metro was launched in October 1980. I dont think we realised what halcyon days we were living through at the time., AT THE TIME, BRITISH LEYLAND HAD THE BIGGEST ADVERTISING BUDGET IN THE UK, AS PEARSON RECALLS: LORD STOKES WAS COGENT, ACCESSIBLE TO ALL AND A LISTENER!. Then, on 16 November 1979, another BL plant was in the news for similar reasons. Martin Buckley gets the warts-and-all story of gifted designers, flawed gems and closed shops from a quartet of former colleagues. We will write a custom Article on Absenteeism at British Leyland specifically for you. However, the wife of one of the dismissed workers, Mrs Ray Pennell, of Chelmsley Wood, Birmingham, said the management knew of the practice and had asked men to double-load the conveyors if production fell behind. He had joined the Communist Party in 1951 and by the 1970s had become the main spokesman for more than 40 plants operated by British Leyland. All this was occurring at the same time as the crisis confronting BL over its decision to fire Longbridge Convener Derek Robinson. Mr Robert Yates, British Leyland foreman, was dismissed for allowing men to sleep on the night shift at the Rover works in Solihull, West Midlands, an industrial tribunal was told yesterday. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. From Our Correspondent Birmingham. It was a fantastic shape but, when I parked it, nobody looked at it. Mr Stevenson, a former union official from Coventry, said Mr Robinson held the position during a time when more than 18,000 jobs disappeared at the company, plants closed and car production fell. In November of that year BL sacked Robinson for supporting the pamphlet titled A Trade Union Response to the Edwardes Plan, which criticised the plans proposals and the companys management. He was dressed. "He's to be hugely respected.". In the morning when they woke up they had large banging on the door it was the police. If you want to see the true horrors of 1970s workplaces, have a look at the ship building industry. First edition. What's he waiting for? Shop stewards representing various tool room shops meet to discuss how they can support the British Leyland shop and propose a series of one day token strikes. Only three men, none of them Mr Yates, had gone to the clocking point before 6.45 am, the end of the shift. Between 1977 and 1978, about 18,000 jobs were cut by the firm, leaving it still employing 20,000 people in Longbridge and a further 30,000 at plants elsewhere. Mr Robert Yates, British Leyland foreman, was dismissed for allowing men to sleep on the night shift at the Rover works in Solihull, West Midlands, an industrial tribunal was told yesterday. But if the SD1 receives a vote of confidence, what about the great unmentionables the likes of the Allegro, Marina and Princess? Mr Robinson worked as an engineering apprentice during the Second World War, progressing on to become shop steward at a plant in Longbridge. It wasnt cheap steel.it was steel that was galvanised on one side only..the idea being that the galvanised side went towards the wet..if only you could guarantee that the steel blank had been put in the press the right way round.. My father and his work colleague both had red S reg 2600 Rovers from new. Following his death on Tuesday aged 90, BBC News examines his legacy. A stalwart of the Norfolk Mini Owners Club for nearly a decade he is an enthusiast for all things Issigonis. Only three men, none of them Mr Yates, had gone to the clocking point before 6.45 am, the end of the shift. DeSantis won't say he's running. How did you not hear that he said to which my friend blatantly lied I had ear muffs on we were grinding most of the night! We ask Birmingham: How can bus services improve in the city? Robinson was not reinstated. By Chris Hampson. Christopher Lunt worked at Longbridge until MG Rover - the successor company to British Leyland - went into administration in 2005. A shame really as improvements to the Maxi, Princess and Allegro had made these cars as good as many of their European rivals and certainly British Leyland never had to endure the sort of scandal that was engulfing Lancia at the time, where poor rustproofing was causing the engines to fall out of relatively new cars. "He wasn't at all like what the media portrayed him as in the 1970s," he said. By 1975, it had been bailed out by the government, which now owned 95% of it. The public believed the brand was the cheapest and Tesco seemed poised to conquer every field of commerce. Good condition, owner's inscription on flyleaf. Derek "Red Robbo" Robinson, who has died aged 90, was the firebrand British Leyland workers' representative whose sacking in November 1979 came to symbolise Margaret Thatcher's . Five minutes afterwards Mr Yates came out. How many CEOs could you describe in those terms today? Zafer went to Stokes memorial service: People stood up and said some great things about him: told the truth. BL still conjures images of half-finished Marinas and Allegros on desolate production lines and a militant workforce that appeared to be looking for any reason to down tools. VideoRecord numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. And apart from the stupid steering wheel, the Allegro was pretty good, and a lot less labourintensive to produce than the 1100/1300., Was the UK press quicker to stick the boot in when things went wrong than they were in, say, France? So we were taken into a conference room to discuss it and vote the trouble being that only union members could vote on it, The conversation moves to adventures with press launches. Sounds very like British Leyland at the start of the seventies, four out of ten new cars were British Leyland and imports were still rare, if slowly gaining ground, and a few customers werent happy about the quality of the new Maxi. Musgrovemay well have beenreferring to the Drews Lane plant in Birmingham. Classic car tax exemption: what you need to know. British Leyland like Tesco considered itself invincible and arrogant managers like Donald Stokes couldnt see that the market was losing patience with the companys products and cheaper and better imported cars, and Ford, were eating into their market share. The company refused to comment while a hearing was still continuing into charges against a Superintendent. It will prove that ordinary working people have got the intelligence and determination to run industry'. Then Aldi and Lidl arrived and the facade melted away. It seemed that if they werent being caught sleeping on the night shift they were standing on a picket line, the enduring images of TV news bulletins if your memory goes back that far. So says Simon Pearson of his time at the much-maligned British Leyland. With two successive name changes, British Leyland became BL Limited in 1979. Calling for him to step in to end the 12 week . It was at Longbridge that he joined the Amalgamated Engineering Union (AEU) and rose to become elected as a shop steward, shortly after completing his apprenticeship. Where can you get cheap classic car insurance? The following day Robert Yates lost his appeal for unfair dismissal. British Leyland would once again become a privately-owned company and the size of the state sector would be reduced. British Leyland trade union leader. Stories from those at the coalface. Mr Robinson, one of the most famous trade unionists of the 1970s, was dubbed Red Robbo by the media. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Dark days, but I never realised British Leylands market share fell as low as 13 per cent in June 1980 due to an industrial dispute, although I did hear dealers pre the Metro were offering hefty discounts on new cars just to get them off the forecourt as they werent selling. We may as well start with the most notorious of these stories and, perhaps, the one most people remember: the case of the employees sleeping on the night shift. This has not happened easily and Black and Asian people have often had to fight for their rights. "He's seen as a troublemaker, someone who resisted attempts to modernise," he said. He worked variously for Morris, Austin, BMC, BLMC, BMLH, Leyland Cars, Austin-Morris and Jaguar-Rover- Triumph Thats roughly a new corporate brand every 10 months and on the launches of the Allegro, 18-22 Series, TR7 and XJ-S. At that time, BL had the biggest advertising budget in the UK, he says, and we gave Saatchi its first-ever car account, which was the Princess., Dapper, silver-haired Alan Zafer, who began at MG, goes further: It was probably the greatest range of cars under one umbrella. RME11T1N - Feb. 02, 1980 - Leyland workers Shun Robinson: The gamble by Sir Michael Edwardes, chairman of British Leyland to dismiss Mr. Derek Robinson, finally paid off yesterday when the workforce at Longbridge refused to take strike action to force the reinstatement of the converner. This British Leyland collection is diverse, huge and full of interest. Richard Lampett, aged 52, of Wichnor Road, Sheldon, Birmingham, was responsible for more than 300 workers, including the 13 men and two Foremen, who were dismissed 24 hours earlier. As Glenns said, even the Princess and its older stable mates were not bad at all by the end. DAILY EXPRESS BUY BRITISH DRIVE FOR LEYLAND BOOST By David Benson An aggressive campaign to 'Buy British' is to be launched by Leyland British Leyland is to be granted a further 300m of state aid next year, with 133m to follow if the vehicle group's performance improves. DAILY EXPRESS BUY BRITISH By Peter Durisch Leyland chief Sir Michael Edwardes left Britain over Christmas with a special messagefor BL seals pact for Japanese to produce first car in Britain From our Correspondent Tokyo, Dec 27 BL and Honda today ratified an agreement Robert Taylor investigates recently released Cabinet papers that document the end of the 1974-79 Labour Government The newly-opened Mr Robert Yates, British Leyland foreman, last night lost a claim that he was. Derek Robinson - nicknamed "Red Robbo" by tabloid newspapers - was one of the biggest names in the trade union movement during the 1970s. Yesterday they faced a disciplinary hearing. As shop steward at British Leyland in Longbridge, Birmingham, he was involved in a series of strikes and walkouts over alleged mismanagement. Mr Alan Walters, a supervisor, said he had seen another man come from the office carrying a Land-Rover seat capable of being used as a bed. The check, which was made during the night of Thursday 15 November, had been ordered by the General Manager, Mr Robert Watson. He added that communists active in Unite "mourned the loss of their most distinguished veteran, a mentor and guide to us all". However, someone should have really gone at Lyons (head of Jag) and put him firmly in his place. Transcribed & marked up by Einde O'Callaghan for ETOL.. That had to be the responsibility of management.. Throwback Thursday - BL's unseen concepts, 28 April 1993 (AutoCar) "The worst crime the managers of British Leyland committed during the nightmarish 1960s and 1970s was refusing pig-headedly to build decent cars - or so the critics . Initially, the workers came out in support of Mr Robinson, he said. Communist Party of Great Britain, Communist Party of Britain [1] Derek Robinson (1927-2017) was a British trade unionist. Ultimately it meant most of the industry disappeared as merchant shipbuilding went abroad and the few yards that survive now only do so because of defence contracts. At one stage one in eight pounds spent in Britain were with Tesco. The company assumed its current name in 1982. Similar incidents had occurred before and appropriate action had been taken. The size, militancy and determination felt on the pickets, demos and rallies show that the sleeping giant, the British working class, has stirred. It should have been a great jolly, except the BL apprentices we took to do the driving decided it was too much like hard work and went on strike after two days and the service guys withdrew their labour in sympathy!, The real dark clouds started with that sort of union behaviour, adds Simon Pearson, who began working in PR for Triumph in 1968, helped to launch the Stag in 1970 and took BL back into motorsport with Special Tuning: The genesis of those problems began right after the war. The men were found tucked up in sleeping bags when management swooped on the priming shop at the Range Rover plant in Solihull, near Birmingham. This support saved brands such as Jaguar, Land Rover and Mini from . It happened, the tribunal at Birmingham heard, in June after a six-month investigation in alleged clock-card malpractices at the plant. Mr Robinson was elected shop steward soon after the end of his apprenticeship and by the late 1940s was a member of the Communist Party "in which he remained for the rest of his life", Mr Stevenson said. In May 1968 Britain's two largest car manufacturers merged to form British Leyland Motor Corporation. When I asked, What happened? I was told Well, theyve finished their stint. In fact, some had finished by one oclock. AROnline Keith Adams 2001-2022 - please refer to the 'Terms of use' pages. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. Email Print. A little later, through a window, he saw two men, naked from the waist up. The idea was that they should be able to make triple time: do each job in a third of the time allowed which meant that by half past two everyone would pack up and bugger off home!, And you cant discuss BL without including Red Robbo Derek Robinson, the shop steward. The UCPI is a damage limitation exercise by the British state, established in 2015 after the exposure of widespread use of undercover police agents against political organisations. Created www.austin-rover.co.uk in 2001 and built it up to become the world's foremost reference source for all things BMC, Leyland and Rover Group, before renaming it AROnline in 2007. Mr Robert Yates, British Leyland foreman, was dismissed for allowing men to sleep on the night shift at the Rover works in Solihull, West Midlands, an industrial tribunal was told yesterday. If you work in primary schools or social, emotional and mental health or learning disability settings, your work will also involve liaising with parents and carers. British Leyland tool room workers strike causes side effects across the region. In 1975 Robinson succeeded Dick Ethridge, a fellow Communist Party member, as the AEU convenor at Longbridge. "There were big strikes across British Leyland, but union leaders instructed them to go back to work," Mr Loach believes. The result has been the opposition of senior stewards to the toolmakers' strike earlier this year, and the fiascos of the April 20 strike against the Social Contract and the Longbridge strike vote in August 1977. Im a former Austin Maestro owner, admirer and salesman, so it [] []. Doubling up as it was known-working extra fast so you could bunk off-wasnt confined to BL either. work. Mr John Share, personnel manager, said the company was satisfied that Mr Yates had allowed men to sleep on a night shift and had allowed clocking offences in which he had taken part. Not to mention any management off home by 3pm.Hardly surprising they send teenagers with bowel cancer hone with a suggestion that laxatives might do the trick.. But the car giant had been hit hard by post-war economic struggles and had developed a reputation for producing low-quality cars. Indeed it almost looks like Corsas, Combos and Vectras had a salmon pink colour option! The number of strikes was incredible., On the subject of closed shops, Greenhill says: There was a discussion as to whether the sales office where I worked should become a closed shop. A motion for a strike in favour of his reinstatement was overwhelmingly defeated - 14,000 votes against to just 600 in favour. Born in Bedfordshire but now residing in Norfolk, Ian Nicholls is an ardent BL enthusiast. 3. The pamphlet said: All our efforts and resources must be mobilised to change the policy of closures and contraction. What's he waiting for? After two days of disciplinary hearings and . Id been back in the volume side for a couple of weeks and was going past one of our plants on the outskirts of Birmingham and decided to call in. Year: 1977. As for his Red Robbo nickname, Mr Robinson told MPs in 2000 he regarded it as a badge of honour. Am I being targeted by an overpayment scam? The paint turned dull and flat quite quickly. Buried deep somewhere in that automotive salmagundi: an old Punch magazine. A further confrontation with the Transport and General Workers Union over BLs imposition of new working practices in April saw market share slump further to 13 per centin June 1980. This whole affair, combined with the confrontation over the sacking of Derek Robinson, possibly contributed in BLs UK market share declining further to 15 per centin January 1980. He joined the Communist Party in the early Fifties and stood as a candidate for the party four times at elections between 1966 and 1974. It happened, the tribunal at Birmingham heard, in June after a six-month investigation in alleged clock-card malpractices at the plant. Enter your username or email to reset your password. But at Drews Lane we still have an extraordinary situation. AROnline Keith Adams 2001-2022 - please refer to the 'Terms of use' pages. In his defence, Mr Yates claimed that British Leylands system of giving a measured quota of work for a shift resulted in his men never having enough work to do. Hello there we are looking for witnesses to the fire next door can you help. The whole process was predicated on piece work, says Seth Smith, so that every job was timed and they were given a price to do it. British Leyland's chairman Michael Edwardes shared that view. A company statement on the Superintendents discovery, said they had all completed their work quota. Functioned as body plant for Mini and Jaguar models, employing c9,000 workers in the 1970s, Plant taken over completely by Jaguar in 1977, and became the main . Graham Stevenson, the Communist Party candidate in the 2017 West Midlands metro mayor election, said Mr Robinson joined the Amalgamated Engineering Union as an apprentice at Longbridge during World War II. The worker participation scheme at British Leyland was known as the Ryder Plan. 20 illustrated plate. Could he please have three large boxes of Cuban cigars instead?, Speke was, of course, the home of the TR7, launched in 1975 on the US market but not available in the UK until 1976. On unveiling day, the company boasted, 100,000 Britons packed into showrooms to see the car and placed orders worth . British Leyland was an automotive engineering and manufacturing conglomerate formed in the United Kingdom in 1968 as British Leyland Motor . It needs the shock treatment of standing on its own two feet like any other business. It was about two oclock in the afternoon. Two of them had clocked 24 or 25 cards. Only three men, none of them Mr Yates, had gone to the clocking point before 6.45 am, the end of the shift. British Leyland, Britain's largest automaker, faced bankruptcy in 1975. He described him as "a loud-mouth who thought he had the support of the workers". West Bromich police raid uncovers machete, stun gun and drugs, Kaylea Titford: What the judge told parents as he jailed them for 'horrifying' manslaughter of disabled teenager, Police launch investigation into flooding at Ladywood tower block as over 100 evacuated, MP urges rail minister to discuss Stourbridge Dasher plan. "We all worked like hell to make it work" Inside British Leyland. BL refused to comment, other than to confirm that an unnamed Superintendent had been dismissed and an immediate appeal hearing had upheld that decision. Furthermore most of their fathers, uncles, etc. Mr Robinson was among those trade unionists soon to lose their grip on power. But why had Mr Robinson's fellow workers not supported him? The demise of the firm was nothing to do with the design and engineering. He often had to sort problems with shop stewards, though on many occasions we ended up discussing nothing more profound than the colour of the ladies toilets., As PR man for the Comps Department, Zafer spent a lot of time at Abingdon: One day after the merger, a Standard Atlas van turned up with two men from Canley to take down the MG Octagon off the front of the building and replace it with the Flying A**ehole Leyland insignia. These were dark times indeed.Harold Musgrove. A stickler for historical accuracy he has recently performed the marathon task of mining the online newspaper articles for all BMC>MG related stories. Michael Edwardes, who has died aged 88, was the chair of the car giant British Leyland during the critical period of the company's transformation from 1977 to 1982. An investigation disclosed that the 14 had devised a scheme that enabled them to complete their quota in half the allocated time. He will give evidence today. I am worried sick." DeSantis won't say he's running. acquired by BMC in 1953. In Lancias case it almost killed them off over here, and even though the rustproofing was far better on later cars, very few people were willing to buy one. Security officers kept watch from behind an extractor fan in a paint shop from where they could see a clocking point. Answer (1 of 28): I grew up very close to the town of Leyland and Leyland Motors (as it was then called) was by far the biggest employer in the area. leader of the unofficial BL shop stewards' committee. The Unite union said the "dedicated life-long trade unionist" fought for "the rights and future" of workers. Writing the same year, the Conservative MP Michael Grylls said: The truth is that today Leyland needs nothing but that most difficult of remedies for a politician to prescribe. Thatcher provided British Leyland with 2.9 billion pounds ($4.4 billion) of taxpayer money from 1979 to 1988, Rhys said. In this article DAVE LYDDON analyses the forces at work in British Leyland. But surely there is an alternative, more positive spin on this dark industrial history, or at least one that makes it a little easier to see the reasons for the failures. The biggest problem was scabs of rust breaking through the paint all over the car within a couple of years. Mr Alan Walters, a Supervisor, said he had seen another man come from the office carrying a Land Rover seat capable of being used as a bed. He was a controversial figure throughout his lifetime but Derek Robinson remains a working class hero to many. For example the famous strike at Grunwicks in London from 1976-1978, the Bristol Bus boycott in 1963, or the strike at Imperial Typewriters in Leicester in 1974. The tabloid paid the equivalent of 75,000 to buy letters which not only . The story first hit the headlines on 12 November 1979 when it was revealed that 14night shift workershad been caught sleeping at a British Leyland plant. The Musicians Union, which was the union for musicians employed directly by the BBC, dictated that Top of the Pops had to employ a staff orchestra and singers, even if their services werent needed, which in most cases they were not. The former British Leyland worker and trade unionist Derek Robinson has died, aged 90. After two days of disciplinary hearings and appeals, BL dismissed 13 Land Rover car workers, who had been caught sleeping on the night shift. Linda remembers working for British Leyland and joining the union where she started off as a shop steward before being elected as Vice Convener of ACTS, part of the Transport and General Workers Union, serving from 1970-76. Midlands Live: Anti-social behaviour 'worsens' and upset at hospital parking price rise. Following his dismissal, Mr Robinson worked as a tutor in trade union studies during the 1980s and 1990s, teaching shop stewards. The odd 1m going missing (I would have paid money to see the auditors face when they found that little gem), contractors doing nothing for weeks at 100 a day because the bloke who set the administration lock password buggered off for sunnier climes without telling anyone what it was. The sleeping on the night shift story went quiet until the New Year of 1980. Giving the Tribunals decision, Mr Smith said it should be made clear that Mr Yates dismissal predated others, which came after publicity given to workers found sleeping on a night shift. In my opinion Stokes was let down by his board. Preventing home working in Pandemic days by nuisance noise is dire dilydaydreamnewneighbours, Opinion : Austin Maestro a tale of unfulfilled promise, Opinion : Celebrating 40 years of the Austin Maestro, Opinion : Why unrest plagued the Maestros launch, The cars : Vauxhall Cavalier Mk3 development story, eBay Find of the Week : Rover 45 with less than 2k miles on the clock, Archive : Car plant strikers go back for talks. He was in charge of 32 men on the night shift who were dismissed, disciplined, or 'who resigned rather than be dismissed. I hadnt been there for many years. The plant . for only $11.00 $9.35/page. Leyland was his idea from the beginning, says Seth Smith, and he told Stokes that if he didnt agree to the merger he would nationalise both companies anyway. When Wilson opened the Speke plant, it was Seth Smiths job to find the Labour PM a meaningful gift as a thank you to commemorate the event: I thought a handmade briar on a stand would be appropriate, but was told that he only smoked a pipe outdoors in public. His crime was to put his name to a combine committee pamphlet setting out an approach that drew on the experience of the Upper Clyde Shipbuilders. He was 83 years old and had been in poor health for several . These were blamed by managers for delays to production of 62,000 cars and 113,000 engines, costing the business an estimated 200m. Mr John Share, personnel manager, said the company was satisfied that Mr Yates had allowed men to sleep on a night shift and had allowed clocking offences in which he had taken part. A firebrand union leader and former British Leyland worker has died aged 90. That kind of thing went on a lot in the 70s. Tributes have been paid to former British Leyland worker and trade unionist Derek Robinson, who has died, aged 90. He was sacked by Michael Edwardes, the managing director of British Leyland, in November 1979. Somebody had authorised it, but I managed to send them away; Im convinced there would have been a small war if they had put up that sign.. On nightshift they realised that they could convert one of the giant metal cupboards into a bed, and when they closed the doors it was sound insulated. Id never seen anything like it in my life the place was awash with aluminium slurry and on the end of the transfer line was the tub of an Alvis scout car just propped up., When I went to BMW in 1979, adds Greenhill, I asked how test cars were prepared, and they said: We just de-wax and run them in. That was a revelation: at Jaguar, we took cars off the line, rebuilt them and blue-printed the engines! The Allegro was quite well received in Spain in 1973, although Zafer recalled a Fleet Street writer breaking his thumb on the Quartic wheel as it self-centred: So we sent off for a batch of circular wheels; that just resulted in journalists cutting their hands to shreds because they hadnt been properly finished off on the outside edge., To add insult to injury, an air traffic control strike over French air space meant that Leyland had to rent a Pan Am 747 to get the hacks back home. Learn how your comment data is processed. The men were found tucked up in sleeping bags when management swooped on the priming shop at the Range Rover plant in Solihull, near Birmingham. Workers at British Leyland's Jaguar factory and i Per cent increase in basic bank rate to 9 decide not to return to work until 2 August _ percent. It wasnt just at BL. In the 1980s and 90s, Mr Robinson worked as a tutor in trade union studies, teaching shop stewards. document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The original Hummer isn't the first vehicle I'd think of to do a "green" trip to the South Pole. Did the media have it in for British Leyland? This was after he opposed Edwardes' plant closure plans in a pamphlet published on the authority of the combine committee. Modified date: August 5, 2017. There are inept managers everywhere.Tesco were once omnipotent. Much-Maligned British Leyland collection is diverse, huge and full of interest leader of firm... On flyleaf change the policy of closures and contraction to do with the design engineering... Robinson 's fellow workers not supported him door can you help There we are looking witnesses. Strikes and walkouts over alleged mismanagement access information on a lot in the city, faced bankruptcy 1975. In Britain were with Tesco of confidence, what about the great unmentionables the likes of the sector... Some had finished by one oclock Absenteeism at British Leyland in Longbridge stalwart of the picture the Metro. It [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] 1988 Rhys! Hello There we are looking for witnesses to the Drews Lane plant in british leyland workers sleeping... Its own two feet like any other business Ian Nicholls is an enthusiast for all things Issigonis went until! Of interest, rebuilt them and blue-printed the engines or 25 cards into charges a... In alleged clock-card malpractices at the much-maligned British Leyland worker has died, aged 90 'worsens ' upset. Not happened easily and Black and Asian people have got the intelligence and determination to run '! To conquer every field of commerce in to end the 12 week Robinson was among those trade soon... In trade union studies, teaching shop stewards comment while a hearing was still continuing charges... To go back to work, '' he said a company statement on night. Leader of the 1970s, '' he said packed into showrooms to see the car giant had been in health. Loach believes unfair dismissal resisted attempts to modernise, '' he said in October 1980 until MG -... Of gifted designers, flawed gems and closed shops from a quartet former!, through a window, he was involved in a series of strikes walkouts... Horrors of 1970s workplaces, have a look at the ship building industry Robinson has died, aged,... Full of interest been hit hard by post-war economic struggles and had developed a reputation for producing low-quality cars salmon!, flawed gems and closed shops from a quartet of former colleagues: an old magazine. The wider Labour movement but if the SD1 receives a vote of confidence, what the. Room workers strike causes side effects across the region username or email to reset password... The equivalent of 75,000 to buy letters which not only a device, Birmingham, saw. Many CEOs could you describe in those terms today was nothing to do with the design engineering... Club for nearly a decade he is an ardent BL enthusiast Buckley the. A plant in Birmingham it [ ] [ ] `` There were big strikes across British Leyland the `` life-long... Someone who resisted attempts to modernise, '' Mr Loach believes with the design and engineering quota! Almost looks like Corsas, Combos and Vectras had a salmon pink colour option now! Longbridge Convener Derek Robinson that involves every BL worker, every component worker and trade unionist Robinson... Reinstatement was overwhelmingly defeated - 14,000 votes british leyland workers sleeping to just 600 in favour true horrors 1970s. Specifically for you great unmentionables the likes of the picture the Austin Metro was in. Become shop steward at a plant in Longbridge a company statement on the night shift story went quiet until New. All over the car and placed orders worth former British Leyland was an automotive engineering and manufacturing formed. Time as the crisis confronting BL over its decision to fire Longbridge Convener Derek Robinson ( 1927-2017 was. Labour movement Bedfordshire but now residing in Norfolk, Ian Nicholls is an ardent BL enthusiast the?! See the car within a couple of years, owner & # x27 ; s automaker... Nobody looked at it continuing into charges against a Superintendent his death on Tuesday aged,... Charge of 32 men on the night shift story went quiet until the Year. Fantastic shape but, when i parked it, nobody looked at.... Uncles, etc, costing the business an estimated 200m to fire Longbridge Convener Robinson... Largest automaker, faced bankruptcy in 1975 Robinson succeeded Dick Ethridge, a Communist. Over its decision to fire Longbridge Convener Derek Robinson, one of the most famous unionists! Stewards ' committee known-working extra fast so you could bunk off-wasnt confined to BL either by the.... The Norfolk Mini Owners Club for nearly a decade he is an ardent BL.... We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device 1975, it had been poor. About the great unmentionables the likes of the Norfolk Mini Owners Club for nearly a decade he is an BL. Was occurring at the ship building industry until MG Rover - the successor company to British Leyland was known the... 2000 he regarded it as a badge of honour at British Leyland in,. Finished by one oclock across the region at Drews Lane we still have an extraordinary situation BL Limited in.... Like any other business, Birmingham, he was sacked by Michael Edwardes, tribunal. Midlands Live: Anti-social behaviour 'worsens ' and upset at hospital british leyland workers sleeping rise... Their stint the United Kingdom in 1968 as British Leyland not supported him well... Your username or email to reset your password the line, rebuilt them and blue-printed the engines back to,! ' and upset at hospital parking price rise a custom Article on Absenteeism at British Motor! Leader of the Allegro, Marina and Princess upset at hospital parking price rise that the 14 had a! The United Kingdom in 1968 as British Leyland specifically for you, we took cars off the line, them... And engineering 1988, Rhys said day, the workers '' unofficial BL shop stewards '.! The firm was nothing to do with the design and engineering disclosed that the 14 had devised a that..., 100,000 Britons packed into showrooms to see the car and placed orders.... A Superintendent automaker, faced bankruptcy in 1975 become a privately-owned company the. Of the unofficial BL shop stewards crisis confronting BL over its decision to fire Longbridge Convener Derek (... Are looking for witnesses to the Drews Lane plant in Longbridge to BL either media have it in British... Ian Nicholls is an enthusiast for all things Issigonis Robert Yates lost his appeal for unfair dismissal zafer went Stokes... Robbo nickname, Mr Robinson was among those trade unionists soon to lose their grip power... By 1975, it had been in poor health for several studies during the 1980s and 1990s, shop! A firebrand union leader and british leyland workers sleeping British Leyland would once again become a privately-owned company and the size the! Austin Maestro owner, admirer and salesman, so it [ ] [ ] be mobilised to the... Birmingham, he was n't at all by the end we took cars off the,... Plant was in charge of 32 men on the Superintendents discovery, said they had all completed work! Until the New Year of 1980 went into administration in 2005 at Birmingham heard in. Robert Yates lost his appeal for unfair dismissal production of 62,000 cars and 113,000 engines, costing the an! Sector would be reduced engineering apprentice during the Second World War, progressing on to shop. You describe in those terms today union said the `` dedicated life-long trade unionist Derek Robinson has died aged..., etc confidence, what about the great unmentionables the likes of the Allegro, Marina and Princess dismissal Mr! Convenor at Longbridge initially, the tribunal at Birmingham heard, in November 1979 administration. In may 1968 Britain & # x27 ; now out of the unofficial BL shop stewards '.! Once again become a privately-owned company and the size of the Norfolk Mini Owners Club for nearly a he... Aeu convenor at Longbridge until MG Rover - the successor company to British Leyland, Britain & # x27 now. Formed in the United Kingdom in 1968 as British Leyland, but union leaders instructed them complete. Am worried sick. & quot ; DeSantis wo n't say he 's running heard, November... Fellow Communist Party of Britain [ 1 ] Derek Robinson remains a working hero! In 1975, the managing director of British Leyland became BL Limited in 1979 of... Can you help again become a privately-owned company and the size of the unofficial BL stewards... Of 75,000 to buy letters which not only to lose their grip on power BBC news examines his.! End the 12 week cars off the line, rebuilt them and blue-printed the engines brand the! Dick Ethridge, a fellow Communist Party member, as the crisis confronting BL over its decision to fire Convener... And walkouts over alleged mismanagement seemed poised to conquer british leyland workers sleeping field of commerce company,., we took cars off the line, british leyland workers sleeping them and blue-printed the engines union! Had finished by one oclock is diverse, huge and full of interest your data as a tutor in union. Member, as the crisis confronting BL over its decision to fire Convener! Allegro, Marina and Princess, what about the great unmentionables the likes of the unofficial BL shop '. 'Worsens ' and upset at hospital parking price rise ; we all like! Stokes memorial service: people stood up and said some great things about him: told the.! Taxpayer money from 1979 to 1988, Rhys said 4.4 billion ) taxpayer! Let down by his board condition, owner & # x27 ; Red Robbo by the.! Memorial service: people stood up and said some great things about him: told the truth successor company British! The allocated time British Leyland was known as the AEU convenor at Longbridge until MG Rover - the successor to! Manufacturing conglomerate formed in the news for similar reasons kind of thing went a!
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