british leyland workers sleeping

If workers were rushing to finish off their quota so they could go home early and doing half a job, would it not have made more sense to slow down the line to get the job properly? Six hundred workers had been laid off indefinitely because of a shortage of suspension units caused by a work to rule by 150 workers at the transmission plant at Drews Lane. I was involved in hire and lease sales, he explains, and if someone wanted an XJ6 or a Stag, I just told them that they had to take half a dozen Marinas as well., Greenhill worked at BMC/BL for 13 years, starting as a Technical sales apprentice in 1966 and finishing up as Jaguars marketing manager when the SIII XJ was launched. Two of them had clocked 24 or 25 cards. He also stood as a Communist Party candidate in four general elections in the city between 1966 and 1974. People were not being properly paid and rewarded so they got together and formed their own alliance. He will give evidence today. In 1981 BL entered into a joint venture with Honda Motor Company, Ltd., of Japan to produce Japanese-designed Triumph Acclaims in the United Kingdom. So says Simon Pearson of his time at the much-maligned British Leyland. Mr Yates, of Coplow Close, Balsall Common, Warwickshire, claims that he was unfairly dismissed. The men at Drews Lane had worked to rule for several weeks in protest at management attempts to stop them leaving early. But at Drews Lane we still have an extraordinary situation. "He was a very competent man in private life he was very kind and very caring.". "He wasn't at all like what the media portrayed him as in the 1970s," he said. The size, militancy and determination felt on the pickets, demos and rallies show that the sleeping giant, the British working class, has stirred. Mr Robinson, one of the most famous trade unionists of the 1970s, was dubbed Red Robbo by the media. 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 company statement on the Superintendents discovery, said they had all completed their work quota. The British Leyland era at Longbridge became a byword for wildcat walkouts, union militancy and industrial chaos - and helped clear the path to political power for Margaret Thatcher. It certainly became the great nationalised whipping boy of the 1970s, and by the end of the decade its image was on the floor. Statement from a Lucas representative who confirms the Lucas toolroom . 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 . Leyland Dozers Sacked. Do they take well to polishing, T-Cut, or is a respray the remediation? Union convenor Derek Robinson had been dismissed months earlier by British Leyland's chairman Michael Edwardes. Duration: 0:05:15. . Vilified by the media as "Red Robbo" he was also betrayed, in the eyes of his supporters, by trade union bosses. 1990s Vauxhalls seemed to have red paint that faded quickly, so most surviving ones look more pink than red these days. The former British Leyland worker and trade unionist Derek Robinson has died, aged 90. 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. He was in charge of 32 men on the night shift who were dismissed, disciplined, or 'who resigned rather than be dismissed. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. The long-standing custom and practice of allowing men to go home early once they had completed their quota of work was a thorny industrial relations issue. A little later, through a window, he saw two men, naked from the waist up. 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. Slight wear at extremities of boards. NICKNAMED Red Robbo, Derek Robinson became one of the most famous trade unionists of the 1970s and as the shop stewards' convener at British Leyland was the man responsible for no fewer than 523 . The company remained a ward of the state for 13 years. It needs to be left alone. Elon Musk sacks 200 MORE Twitter staff - including top lieutenant who boasted about sleeping in her office to commit to billionaire's new 'hardcore' work culture - before posting cryptic tweet A stickler for historical accuracy he has recently performed the marathon task of mining the online newspaper articles for all BMC>MG related stories. Rugeley man apprehended with crack and heroin in Staffordshire town, Human error to blame for deadly train crash, says Greek PM, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece. Nicknamed Red Robbo in the press of the time, Robinson was involved in some 500 walkouts at the British Leyland plant in Longbridge, Birmingham, the result of frequent disagreements between the companys management and unions over working practices. I realised that it wasnt going to sell somehow it had no presence. Our picture shows Maureen Crook and her seven woman party, wives of striking workers at British Leyland's Triumph No.2 factory in Speke, with their petition of over 1000 signatures for Prime Minister Jim Callaghan. In my opinion Stokes was let down by his board. 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. acquired by BMC in 1953. 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. AROnline Keith Adams 2001-2022 - please refer to the 'Terms of use' pages. In February 1980, less than a year after Margaret Thatcher became prime minister, thousands of car workers gathered following the sacking of one man. Derek Robinson - nicknamed "Red Robbo" by tabloid newspapers - was one of the biggest names in the trade union movement during the 1970s. A Supervisor who was sleeping was also dismissed, along with a Foreman. Once part of the sprawling British Leyland automotive empire that epitomised Britain's industrial decline . The men said that, under BLs Measured Day Work system of payment, they were entitled to leave as soon as they had completed their output target for the day. From Our Correspondent Birmingham. The British rail class 153 super sprinters are single car units converted in the 1990s from British Leyland built two-car class 155s. Seth Smith recalls the introduction of the Series III E-type in 1971: We took journalists to Browns Lane and had a nice presentation on the V12 then took them on a tour of the new engine shop. 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. The behavior of absenteeism is normally evidenced in work places where some workers may decide to make absenteeism their habit. 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. VideoRecord numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. Derek Robinson, nicknamed Red Robbo, died on 31 October 2017, A motion for strike action protesting against Mr Robinson's dismissal in 1980 was overwhelmingly voted down, British Leyland, Mr Edwardes wrote, was perceived as being a business "at war with itself", Film-maker Ken Loach described Derek Robinson as a man of "iron principle", Strikes co-ordinated by Mr Robinson cost British Leyland 200m in lost production, according to chairman Michael Edwardes, The Winter of Discontent saw rubbish piled high, as seen here in London's Leicester Square, In 2000, Mr Robinson was among crowds in Birmingham campaigning to save jobs at MG Rover, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece. Even today, there are certain professions where . 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. He was credited with causing 523 walkouts at British Leyland between 1978 and 1979, costing an estimated 200 million in lost . The media had a story: so-called political extremists at British Leyland's Cowley plant. A quote from Austin Rover Managing Director Harold Musgrove (right) from 1984 underlines that. Over the years, my father's garage has become an elephant's graveyard of corroded metal, faded wiring diagrams, desiccated gaskets and other relics of a lifetime of Land Rover ownership. I called into the Plant Directors office and said that Id like to look around to see what was happening. As a young man, his first job was selling the newly launched Maestro at a BL dealership in his native Cumbria. Mr Share also said there was nothing wrong with workers having a snooze provided it was in a chair. I pointed out that we paid them until 4.30pm. Five minutes afterwards Mr Yates came out. This British Leyland collection is diverse, huge and full of interest. for only $11.00 $9.35/page. British Leyland's chairman Michael Edwardes shared that view. They made BL look like rank amateurs. A survey by a Superintendent at Oxford Exhausts, a factory making most of BLs exhaust systems and petrol tanks, found employees, dozing in various parts of the factory.. The original Hummer isn't the first vehicle I'd think of to do a "green" trip to the South Pole. Over 50,000 workers across British Leyland immediately came out on strike, including the 20,000 workers at Longbridge in . They discovered all the 14 men employed there, including a supervisor, asleep or dozing in sleeping bags, blankets and makeshift bunks. At one stage one in eight pounds spent in Britain were with Tesco. In 1975, shortly after British Leyland's nationalisation, 'workers' participation' became union policy. DAILY MIRROR. Where can you get quick classic car insurance quotes? Ultimately it would become nationalised as British Leyland, often referred to as just BL.In 1986 it was renamed to Rover Group.. History. Yet surely using cheap steel on what was classed as an upmarket product was a big mistake and the Lancia joined the lesser Fiat Strada on the list of cars to avoid due to premature rust. As shop steward at British Leyland in Longbridge, Birmingham, he was involved in a series of strikes and walkouts over alleged mismanagement. 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. Year: 1977. 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. Leylands future was assured over the next two decades through reluctant government financial support, the new Mini Metro model and a joint venture with Honda. document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. This year's foundling is British Leyland's first new Rover sedan in 13 years. 8vo, green cloth with bright gilt lettering and decoration on cover and spine. The men said that, when they had done their work, they should be allowed to go home. He was in charge of 32 men on the night shift who were dismissed, disciplined, or who resigned rather than be dismissed. 9 January 1980. Over the years they have applied pressure to weaken work standards so that, against the already slack standards then applying, they are able to claim they have done their days work and management is powerless to give them more work to complete the shift.. 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. 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. Bits of hardware still running off BBC B computers..! 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. "I can sleep sound at night because I never betrayed the workers I was elected to represent," he said. Classic car tax exemption: what you need to know. British Leyland was an automotive engineering and manufacturing conglomerate formed in the United Kingdom in 1968 as British Leyland Motor . Start your Independent Premium subscription today. International Socialism, April 1977. 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. British Leyland, Britain's largest automaker, faced bankruptcy in 1975. Mr Robinson was among those trade unionists soon to lose their grip on power. Its just a shame that for a lot of the 70s they were rightly derided for their quality. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. But why had Mr Robinson's fellow workers not supported him? Im a former Austin Maestro owner, admirer and salesman, so it [] []. "These words are a suitable epithet for a stalwart of the trade union movement, whose passing we mourn.". Calling for him to step in to end the 12 week . British Leyland, Britain's largest automaker, faced bankruptcy in 1975. 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. 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. Martin Buckley gets the warts-and-all story of gifted designers, flawed gems and closed shops from a quartet of former colleagues. Enter your username or email to reset your password. A little later, through a window, he saw two men, naked from the waist up. 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. 3. He was in charge of 32 men on the night shift who were dismissed, disciplined, or 'who resigned rather than be dismissed. The sleeping on the night shift story went quiet until the New Year of 1980. Mr Robinson, one of the most famous trade unionists of the 1970s, was dubbed Red Robbo by the media. It would suck senior stewards into collusion with management and neutralise shopfloor activism. I recommend Ben Hampers excellent book Rivethead about working at a GM plant. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. Buried deep somewhere in that automotive salmagundi: an old Punch magazine. She said: "My husband rang to tell me that they have all lost their jobs.". In 1975 Robinson succeeded Dick Ethridge, a fellow Communist Party member, as the AEU convenor at Longbridge. 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. E 21 Government approves 30 million as first tranche of 100 million investment funds to British British Leyland s Rover workers at Solihull Leyland. 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. He left school aged 14 to begin work at the Austin plant at Longbridge, initially as an apprentice toolmaker. It was a fantastic shape but, when I parked it, nobody looked at it. It wasnt just at BL. One night him and his mate who were on the maintenance nightshift went to sleep in the cupboards. Where can you get quick classic car insurance quotes? We had a LDV van at work for about 7 years. Undermining the shopfloor Late in 1979, as the Winter of Discontent raged, he was dismissed for signing a pamphlet criticising plans for 25,000 job cuts. Family Cottage near Leyland, Lancashire. This introduction is being written on 30 November 2011, the day we saw 2.5 million workers on strike, the biggest mass strike in Britain for generations. . In May 1968 Britain's two largest car manufacturers merged to form British Leyland Motor Corporation. History will show that Derek was unfairly maligned by the media as he aimed to find solutions to British Leyland's industrial disputes and turn around the car company." Derek Robinson, trade . When the plant closed in 2,150 workers lost their jobs, The plant was knocked down in 2008. . So that was the sleeping on the night-shift affair. How to value your classic for insurance purposes, Classics insurance for 17,18,19 & 20 year olds, Insurance when your classic isn't roadworthy, It's FREE to list your car on Honest John Classics, BL seals pact for Japanese to produce first car in Britain, Sleeping foreman loses dismissal case against BL, Mr Scargill pledges his support for BL convener, Car Reviews: Read the latest reports from our experts. Mr Robinson . At the time the industrial giant was believed to be the sixth largest car manufacturer in the world, with 11 marques - Austin, Austin-Healey, Daimler, Jaguar, MG, Morris, Riley, Rover, Triumph, Vanden Plas and Wolseley - and factories across the globe. The company assumed its current name in 1982. Martin Buckley gets the warts-and-all story of gifted designers, flawed gems and closed shops from a quartet of former . Tributes have been paid to former British Leyland worker and trade unionist Derek Robinson, who has died, aged 90. The public believed the brand was the cheapest and Tesco seemed poised to conquer every field of commerce. Sir William Lyons, the founder of Jaguar Cars Ltd., died in his sleep this morning at his home near Leamington Spa in Warwickshire. Political party. One factor perhaps not widely understood is that chronic under-investment meant that many major components were being built on pre-war tooling, whereas the Germans, for example, had all the latest kit. 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. Modified date: August 5, 2017. Management regarded him as an "insidious influence" and his days at the car firm had been numbered. Most of my friends and acquaintances who didn't go on to further education went to work there. 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. Mr John Shayler, plant protection manager, said that at dawn on, June 14 he had seen a day-shift worker come in to their factory and knock on the door of the foremens office. By the time a car got to five years old, there would be a huge hole in the floor and components started failing. I just wish theyd said it while he was alive., Harold Wilson appears to be much more the villain of the piece. Learn how your comment data is processed. History will show that Derek was unfairly maligned by the media as he aimed to find solutions to British Leylands industrial disputes and turn around the car company., Derek Robinson, trade union leader, born 1927, died 31 October 2017, Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. 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. I am worried sick." We ask Birmingham: How can bus services improve in the city? Christopher Lunt worked at Longbridge until MG Rover - the successor company to British Leyland - went into administration in 2005. Yesterday they faced a disciplinary hearing. I am worried sick." 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. Continue with Recommended Cookies. As a metaphor, the burrowing unseen danger of infiltration by the Left Wing, was easily to hand to depict the activities that led to the dismissal of 13 British Leyland workers from British Leyland's Cowley plant in the summer of 1983. That was not the responsibility of the employees, that was not the responsibility of the workforce. Whatexactly happened and whenare not easy to decipher. The Stokes-era management had paid a high price to rid themselves of piecework but, in the climate of early 1970s Britain, the Shop Stewards had the upper hand, and British Leylands finances were too weak to withstand a major dispute, so to berate management is perhaps a bit unfair. Mr Robinson was involved in an estimated 500 disputes at Longbridge. 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. 2023 BBC. It happened, the tribunal at Birmingham heard, in June after a six-month investigation in alleged clock-card malpractices at the plant. Belated attempts to set up acceptable new output targets had been resisted by the Shop Stewards. The company remained a ward of the state for 13 years. Following his death on Tuesday aged 90, BBC News examines his legacy. Read about our approach to external linking. 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. Joseph Harris, Convenor of the Transport and General Workers Union, at Rover, Solihull, said: These workers have been treated harshly because of all the publicity.The disciplinary hearings ended on 14 November 14 1979 whenBL dismissed the Superintendent in charge of the day and night shifts in that area of the Land Rover plant at Solihull. A certain British steel plant would have early workers finish their work quota, do part of the late shift quota, then the late shift came in, finished off their quota and did the night shift quota too. Similar incidents had occurred before and appropriate action had been taken. He wrote in his 1983 book, Back from the Brink, that Mr Robinson had "kept Longbridge in ferment and upheaval" for years and "disruption and upheaval" were his "food and drink". Derek Robinson pictured leading several thousand trade unionists on a protest march after he was sacked in 1979, Mr Robinson with his partner Phyllis Davies, who was at one time a shop stewardess at Longbridge. Perhaps more importantly, the rational economy, which includes companies like ICJ, Racal and . Five minutes afterwards Mr Yates came out. As for his Red Robbo nickname, Mr Robinson told MPs in 2000 he regarded it as a badge of honour. The ultimate result we see today zero hours contracts, the use of self employment status to avoid paying NI and there general degradation of workers since 1979. He added that communists active in Unite "mourned the loss of their most distinguished veteran, a mentor and guide to us all". "I can sleep sound at night because I never betrayed the workers I was elected to represent," he said. The organisation specialises in providing best-in-class care and . Hello there we are looking for witnesses to the fire next door can you help. No mention was made of any disciplinary action against the workers. He was in charge of 32 men on the night shift who were dismissed, disciplined, or 'who resigned rather than be dismissed. 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. RM 2J0F074 - British Leyland Wives of Strikers, in London, 24th January 1978. Initially, the workers came out in support of Mr Robinson, he said. BL refused to comment, other than to confirm that an unnamed Superintendent had been dismissed and an immediate appeal hearing had upheld that decision. Fearing that its collapse would leave a million workers unemployed, the Labour government nationalized it. When I asked, What happened? I was told Well, theyve finished their stint. In fact, some had finished by one oclock. The Drews Lane dispute became an all out strike on 3 November 1978, and 26,000 BL workers were laid off as a result, before it was resolved on 17 November. Former Leyland worker Stephen Cox said Mr Robinson was regarded by many as "way out on an extreme". The former British Leyland worker and trade unionist Derek Robinson has died, aged 90. 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. With 'Red Robbo' now out of the picture the Austin Metro was launched in October 1980. Stories from those at the coalface. "He's to be hugely respected.". Unite general secretary Len McCluskey said: "History will show that Derek was unfairly maligned by the media as he aimed to find solutions to British Leyland's industrial disputes and turn around the car company. Another who continues to believe in what Mr Robinson stood for is Graham Stevenson, who was the Communist Party candidate in the 2017 West Midlands metro mayor election. Underinvestment and a lack of new models had resulted in BLs car market share falling dramatically. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. 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. Mr Robinson worked as an engineering apprentice during the Second World War, progressing on to become shop steward at a plant in Longbridge. This means employees can complete their daily stint, or work quota, and then go home at any time from 3.00pm onwards, but still be paid to the end of the shift. She said: My husband rang to tell me that they have all lost their jobs.. 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Van at work for about 7 years across British Leyland in Longbridge new targets... Trade union movement, whose passing we mourn. `` in fact, some had finished by oclock. Importantly, the tribunal at Birmingham heard, in June after a six-month investigation in alleged clock-card malpractices at plant... World War, progressing on to become shop steward at British Leyland, often referred to as BL.In. Old, there would be a huge hole in the floor and components started failing had... 1978 and 1979, costing an estimated 200 million in lost a car got to five old! On power british leyland workers sleeping data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, insights! Worked as an `` insidious influence '' and his british leyland workers sleeping at the plant the responsibility of workforce. Sleeping was also dismissed, along with a Foreman 21 Government approves million... Into administration in 2005 regarded by many as `` way out on strike, including a Supervisor, or!

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