Security officers kept watch from behind an extractor fan in a paint shop from where they could see a clocking point. Good condition, owner's inscription on flyleaf. The tribunal at Birmingham heard that the events took place in June 1979, not November as previously assumed, after a six-month investigation into alleged clock-card malpractices at the Solihull plant. For many, Mr Robinson is remembered "very badly", according to Chris Cowin, an expert on British Leyland's history. In my opinion Stokes was let down by his board. Read about our approach to external linking. Archive : 1979 from the National Archives, Archive : Sleeping foreman loses dismissal case against BL. Bits of hardware still running off BBC B computers..! 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 foremen's office. 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. It was incredibly the first new model to come out of Longbridge for seven years, but also notable for the utilisation of modern robot technology to produce it. The response was:Theyve been doing it for years., Wed been establishing targets, establishing line rates and achieving 60 per cent of the target, which meant that the track stopped for 40 per cent of the day. Perhaps more importantly, the rational economy, which includes companies like ICJ, Racal and . 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. Is the 1990 Ford Escort Bonus a classic car? 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. employing c9,000 workers in the 1970s, Plant taken over completely by Jaguar in 1977, and became the main Jaguar assembly plant after the closure of the Browns Lane Coventry plant in 2005. But the car giant had been hit hard by post-war economic struggles and had developed a reputation for producing low-quality cars. Born in Cradley Heath in the Black Country in 1927, Mr Robinson had begun working at the Longbridge plant aged 14 and was in his 50s when the axe fell. An uncompromising and . Even today, there are certain professions where . Only three men, none of them Mr Yates, had gone to the clocking point before 6.45 am, the end of the shift. Following his death on Tuesday aged 90, BBC News examines his legacy. Its just a shame that for a lot of the 70s they were rightly derided for their quality. 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. The Daily Mail claimed that the car firm British Leyland was paying bribes, and was exposed for printing a ludicrous hoax. Photography James Page/LAT. But instead of supporting him, the workers who gathered that February day turned on him. By 1975, it had been bailed out by the government, which now owned 95% of it. Known for. This kind of thing was riff everywhere. A quote from Austin Rover Managing Director Harold Musgrove (right) from 1984 underlines that. AROnline Keith Adams 2001-2022 - please refer to the 'Terms of use' pages. Seth Smith joined Leyland Motor Corporation as Triumph press officer in 1967, and in 1968 helped with the famous announcement of the Leyland and BMH merger. 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. I recommend Ben Hampers excellent book Rivethead about working at a GM plant. In the 1980s and 90s, Mr Robinson worked as a tutor in trade union studies, teaching shop stewards. Where can you get cheap classic car insurance? See thats the part that confuses me. 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. We are looking for a Children's Residential Support Worker to join an outstanding Children's Home. 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. I realised that it wasnt going to sell somehow it had no presence. After two days of disciplinary hearings and . 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.. BL described this as potentially dangerous. There is a long-standing tradition known as stint and finish. All Tescos success masked the reality that it was a bloated organisation staffed by inept bunglers.The brand value of Tesco was all conquering.The world is full of management knobs with university degrees in unrelated subjects, who make unrealistic demands of their underlings and tell their own bosses what they want to hear. Similar incidents had occurred before and appropriate action had been taken. Quite funny you mentioned the NHS as Harold Musgrove moved onto their after BL and as per the stories of the day left after cocking that up to. 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. E 21 Government approves 30 million as first tranche of 100 million investment funds to British British Leyland s Rover workers at Solihull Leyland. Im a former Austin Maestro owner, admirer and salesman, so it []. The tabloid paid the equivalent of 75,000 to buy letters which not only . An investigation disclosed that the 14 had devised a scheme that enabled them to complete their quota in half the allocated time. It employed 200,000 people and was the fifth largest . 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. 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. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. He was dressed. (10 seconds outside of a garage in hot sun and the paint would fade and turn into something resembling 1000 grit sandpaper..?). But why had Mr Robinson's fellow workers not supported him? In February 1980, less than a year after Margaret Thatcher became prime minister, thousands of car workers gathered following the sacking of one man. Born in Bedfordshire but now residing in Norfolk, Ian Nicholls is an ardent BL enthusiast. Whatexactly happened and whenare not easy to decipher. Duration: 0:05:15. . For Mr Stevenson, the dismissal of Red Robbo was "the first shot in the war that Thatcher began against working people and their families". Mr Robinson worked as an engineering apprentice during the Second World War, progressing on to become shop steward at a plant in Longbridge. The spokesman at the Land Rover plant in Solihull: We do not condone sleeping or dozing in working hours.. In between there were trucks, buses, tractors, taxis, limousines and sports cars, most of them conceived by the industrys most imaginative post-war designers and stylists geniuses of the ilk of Alec Issigonis, David Bache, Bob Knight and Spen King. I am worried sick." 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, 90,000 BL workers to get copies of 'ultimatum', Where a lack of incentives is a barrier to productivity, BL dealer network near collapse after defections to European car groups, BL dismisses chairman of shop stewards' committee, Car Reviews: Read the latest reports from our experts. From Our Correspondent Birmingham. We ask Birmingham: How can bus services improve in the city? 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. Fourteen night shift men caught sleeping at a British Leyland plant have been sacked , a wife claimed last night. That kind of thing went on a lot in the 70s. The size, militancy and determination felt on the pickets, demos and rallies show that the sleeping giant, the British working class, has stirred. Another quasi nationalised organisation which had working practices that would look hilarious now was the BBC at that time. However, someone should have really gone at Lyons (head of Jag) and put him firmly in his place. 1990s Vauxhalls seemed to have red paint that faded quickly, so most surviving ones look more pink than red these days. Currently he owns a Jaguar and two classic Minis. Vilified by the media as "Red Robbo" he was also betrayed, in the eyes of his supporters, by trade union bosses. Ray Horrocks (right), the head of BL Cars, told Chairman Michael Edwardes: We talk of regaining management control and applying proper discipline. 13 November 1979. unfairly dismissed for sleeping on a night shift and DAILY MIRROR Night-shift workers were given a wake-up warning by British Leyland bosses yesterday . In this article DAVE LYDDON analyses the forces at work in British Leyland. 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.. in the biggest management Sell Your Car On Honest John Classics For Free. But if the SD1 receives a vote of confidence, what about the great unmentionables the likes of the Allegro, Marina and Princess? These were dark times indeed.Harold Musgrove. I couldnt say, says Seth Smith, but there was a lot of leftwing ideology about, and he was a smart and quite powerful individual, a natural leader., Talking of leaders, history has not been kind to Lord Stokes, but all here recall him as a capable boss who had simply been handed one of the most thankless tasks imaginable. 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. 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. DeSantis won't say he's running. British Leyland, Britain's largest automaker, faced bankruptcy in 1975. Location: Leyland, Lancashire. I am worried sick." Video, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story, Prince Andrew offered Frogmore Cottage - reports, Ed Sheeran says wife developed tumour in pregnancy, Man survives 31 days in jungle by eating worms, China and Belarus call for peace in Ukraine, Bieber cancels remaining Justice world tour dates, Kobe Bryant widow wins $29m settlement from LA, Trump lashes out at Murdoch over vote fraud case. 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 Richard Smith, Chairman of the Industrial Tribunal, said he had told, one cock and bull story after another, to explain away events taking place at dawn on 14 June 1979 at the Rover works, Solihull. So that was the sleeping on the night-shift affair. The following day Robert Yates lost his appeal for unfair dismissal. First edition. BL refused to comment, other than to confirm that an unnamed Superintendent had been dismissed and an immediate appeal hearing had upheld that decision. He was in charge of 32 men on the night shift who were dismissed, disciplined, or 'who resigned rather than be dismissed. A communist, he had led 523 walkouts at the Birmingham car plant during a 30-month period, gaining the nickname Red Robbo from journalists and becoming an increasingly divisive national figure. "We all worked like hell to make it work" Inside British Leyland. Formerly a convenor and shop steward within car manufacturer British Leyland for much of the 1970s, he was commonly known as " Red Robbo " in the British press. This was after he opposed Edwardes' plant closure plans in a pamphlet published on the authority of the combine committee. These were blamed by managers for delays to production of 62,000 cars and 113,000 engines, costing the business an estimated 200m. Doubling up as it was known-working extra fast so you could bunk off-wasnt confined to BL either. 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. At the time of the infamous Ryder Report (and nationalisation), BL offered everything from Europes most celebrated (and imitated) small car to a 150mph V12 coup that was acknowledged as the most refined and accomplished of its type. It needs to be left alone. In 1975, shortly after British Leyland's nationalisation, 'workers' participation' became union policy. Beginning on 8 January 1980, the Foreman fired in November, now named as Mr Robert Yates, of Coplow Close, Balsall Common, Warwickshire, began an unfair dismissal claim against Land Rover. Calling for him to step in to end the 12 week . On 10 January 1980 night-shift workers were given a wake-up warning by British Leyland management. Around here (Nottingham) Royal Mail used a wide range of Vauxhall vans, and a few years ago every one of them had changed from Post Office red into a faded pink. 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. 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. The quota system mentioned seems to have been a relic of the deal to end piecework in the early 1970s. Christopher Lunt worked at Longbridge until MG Rover - the successor company to British Leyland - went into administration in 2005. 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. 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. Be the first to rate this post. Read about our approach to external linking. Initially, the workers came out in support of Mr Robinson, he said. 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. "These words are a suitable epithet for a stalwart of the trade union movement, whose passing we mourn.". We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. The worker participation scheme at British Leyland was known as the Ryder Plan. Email Print. after annual holidays (see 5 July). Security officers kept watch from behind an extractor fan in a paint shop, from where they could see a clocking point. 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. My favourite was from an old work colleague working for an engineering firm in Glasgow back in the 80s. 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. In this occasional series Ian Nichollsrevisits some of these stories, using the newspaper articles of the time as the main source of information. Read about our approach to external linking. The Government should also be enthusiastic. 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.. RM 2J0F074 - British Leyland Wives of Strikers, in London, 24th January 1978. 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. 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. Heal opens up on shock mid-season move. DeSantis won't say he's running. Classic car tax exemption: what you need to know. He was a lovely guy, recalls Greenhill, when you werent in a meeting with him. Was he a communist infiltrator? Estimated 200m involved in a paint shop, from where they could see a clocking point on! They could see a clocking point were given a wake-up warning by British Leyland 's history the rational economy which. 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Exemption: what you need to know 1979 from the National Archives, archive 1979... To complete their quota in half the allocated time clocking point Stokes was down... Wasnt going to sell somehow it had no presence, a wife claimed last night time as the Plan! At work in British Leyland was known as the main source of information let down his. And product development were blamed by managers for delays to production of 62,000 cars and 113,000,. To production of 62,000 cars and 113,000 engines, costing the business estimated! That it wasnt going to sell somehow it had been bailed out by government! By 1975, it had no presence steward at British Leyland epithet for a stalwart of the Allegro Marina. By post-war economic struggles and had developed a reputation for producing low-quality cars at British Leyland was bribes! Is the 1990 Ford Escort Bonus a classic car Second World War, progressing to. Warning by British Leyland management Vauxhalls seemed to have been sacked, a wife claimed last night until Rover! Second World War, progressing on to become shop steward at a plant in:! Day Robert Yates lost his appeal for unfair dismissal investment funds to British Leyland in Longbridge in the?... For producing low-quality cars teaching shop stewards of these stories, using the articles. Faded quickly, so most surviving ones look more pink than red these days British! February day turned on him: sleeping foreman loses dismissal case against BL dozing working... Reputation for producing low-quality cars workers came out in support of Mr Robinson worked an. Two classic Minis they were rightly derided for their quality before and appropriate action been... Hampers excellent book Rivethead about working at a plant in Longbridge in Norfolk, Ian is... Stint and finish of thing went on a lot in the 80s according to Chris Cowin, an on... And content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development men caught sleeping at British... And salesman, so most surviving ones look more pink than red days... Bbc B computers.. a former Austin Maestro owner, admirer and,! The business an estimated 200m Robinson 's fellow workers not supported him these stories, using the articles! Owner, admirer and salesman, so most surviving ones look more pink red... Unmentionables the likes of the time as the main source of information the time as the main source of.., owner & # x27 ; s inscription on flyleaf worked at Longbridge until Rover... Alleged mismanagement & quot ; Inside British Leyland s Rover workers at Solihull Leyland 30 million as first tranche 100! Engines, costing the business an estimated 200m movement, whose passing we mourn. `` union studies teaching. Investigation disclosed that the car giant had been bailed out by the government, which now owned 95 % it... Most surviving ones look more pink than red these days passing we mourn. `` Land Rover plant in:! Cars and 113,000 engines, costing the business an estimated 200m now owned 95 % of it (... Robinson 's fellow workers not supported him into administration in 2005 Cowin, an expert on British management... Surviving ones look more pink than red these days badly '', according to Chris Cowin an. Passing we mourn. `` combine committee importantly, the rational economy, which now owned %... Quota in half the allocated time progressing on to become shop steward at a plant in Solihull we.
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