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. 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. By the winter of 1979, as 1.5 million public sector workers were on strike across the UK, the Labour government was in its final throes. He hopes his friend will be remembered as "one of those stalwarts in the post-war era that maintained a better life for ordinary people", not as an "agitator" or "destroyer" which he said was "a complete invention". A little later, through a window, he saw two men, naked from the waist up. "His legacy ought to be that you've got to fight," said Mr Loach. 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. I pointed out that we paid them until 4.30pm. These were dark times indeed.Harold Musgrove. The public believed the brand was the cheapest and Tesco seemed poised to conquer every field of commerce. (10 seconds outside of a garage in hot sun and the paint would fade and turn into something resembling 1000 grit sandpaper..?). 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. A combination of poor steel and corrosion, so Lancia werent entirely to blame. The Daily Mail claimed that the car firm British Leyland was paying bribes, and was exposed for printing a ludicrous hoax. 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. The company assumed its current name in 1982. Duration: 0:05:15. . The former British Leyland worker and trade unionist Derek Robinson has died, aged 90. British Leyland, Britain's largest automaker, faced bankruptcy in 1975. Judge for yourself. For Mr Stevenson, the dismissal of Red Robbo was "the first shot in the war that Thatcher began against working people and their families". Strikes co-ordinated by Mr Robinson cost British Leyland 200m in lost production, according to chairman Michael Edwardes Former Leyland worker Stephen Cox said Mr Robinson was regarded by many . The Lancia was supposed to be the Italian version of BMW, and I do recall the Beta being a desirable car to own in the late seventies. 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. 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. It would suck senior stewards into collusion with management and neutralise shopfloor activism. The biggest problem was scabs of rust breaking through the paint all over the car within a couple of years. 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. Enter your username or email to reset your password. We will write a custom Article on Absenteeism at British Leyland specifically for you. Undermining the shopfloor E 21 Government approves 30 million as first tranche of 100 million investment funds to British British Leyland s Rover workers at Solihull Leyland. One of the most notorious trade unionists in recent memory has died aged 90. Bits of hardware still running off BBC B computers..! It needs the shock treatment of standing on its own two feet like any other business. On unveiling day, the company boasted, 100,000 Britons packed into showrooms to see the car and placed orders worth . A stalwart of the Norfolk Mini Owners Club for nearly a decade he is an enthusiast for all things Issigonis. Thatcher provided British Leyland with 2.9 billion pounds ($4.4 billion) of taxpayer money from 1979 to 1988, Rhys said. Appointed in 1977, the combative South African businessman Sir Michael Edwardes cut the number of workers almost in half at British Leyland, from 172,000 to 90,000. Read about our approach to external linking. Where can you get quick classic car insurance quotes? Classic car tax exemption: what you need to know. 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. 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. 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.. DeSantis won't say he's running. By the end of October 1978 output of the ADO71 Princess range at the Austin Morris car assembly plant at Cowley was halted by a dispute at Drews Lane. 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. DeSantis won't say he's running. Known for. He was sitting opposite Mr Robinson when the union convenor was finally dismissed. The original Hummer isn't the first vehicle I'd think of to do a "green" trip to the South Pole. Stories from those at the coalface. 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. British Leyland was an automotive engineering and manufacturing conglomerate formed in the United Kingdom in 1968 asBritish Leyland Motor Corporation Ltd . He will give evidence today. It needs to be left alone. 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. 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. See thats the part that confuses me. The measured day rate replaced piece work at around 1970-1974 IIRC. Fearing that its collapse would leave a million workers unemployed, the Labour government nationalized it. 2023 BBC. Two of them had clocked 24 or 25 cards. It was a fantastic shape but, when I parked it, nobody looked at it. Robinson was involved in some 500 walkouts at the British Leyland plant in Longbridge, Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in, Please refresh your browser to be logged in, Fats Domino: rock n roll legend who faced down Hurricane Katrina, Dennis Banks: founder of the American Indian Movement, Jane Juska: memoirist who broke taboo of older women having sex, Paul Weitz: Nasa Skylab and space shuttle astronaut, Derek Robinson: Giant of the trades union movement in the Seventies, Extra 20% off selected fashion and sportswear at Very, Up to 20% off & extra perks with Booking.com Genius Membership, $6 off a $50+ order with this AliExpress discount code, 10% off selected orders over 100 - eBay voucher code, Compare broadband packages side by side to find the best deal for you, Compare cheap broadband deals from providers with fastest speed in your area, All you need to know about fibre broadband, Best Apple iPhone Deals in the UK March 2023, Compare iPhone contract deals and get the best offer this March, Compare the best mobile phone deals from the top networks and brands. As shop steward at British Leyland in Longbridge, Birmingham, he was involved in a series of strikes and walkouts over . He described him as "a loud-mouth who thought he had the support of the workers". ( Somehow an orchestra trying to perform a punk record would be comical). The former British Leyland worker and trade unionist Derek Robinson has died, aged 90. At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece. 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. A stickler for historical accuracy he has recently performed the marathon task of mining the online newspaper articles for all BMC>MG related stories. 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. He was in charge of 32 men on the night shift who were dismissed, disciplined, or 'who resigned rather than be dismissed. Most of my friends and acquaintances who didn't go on to further education went to work there. 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. 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. As shop steward at British Leyland in Longbridge, Birmingham, he was involved in a series of strikes and walkouts over alleged mismanagement. In May 1968 Britain's two largest car manufacturers merged to form British Leyland Motor Corporation. Williams Lyons. 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 . 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. Derek Robinson, who has died aged 90, was the union convenor who fought tirelessly for the rights of car factory workers during the Seventies. Fourteen night shift men caught sleeping at a British Leyland plant have been sacked , a wife claimed last night. 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. 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. 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. Manage Settings . Belated attempts to set up acceptable new output targets had been resisted by the Shop Stewards. My god it was awful, it was bought . Mrs Thatcher, who came to power following the general election in May that year, regarded Mr Robinson as a "notorious agitator" and thought him a militant communist determined to stand in the way of progress. 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. 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. Where can you get cheap classic car insurance? I will leave the last word to Pearson, the man who got this fascinating group together: We all worked like hell to make it work, for not much money. But if the SD1 receives a vote of confidence, what about the great unmentionables the likes of the Allegro, Marina and Princess? 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. DAILY MIRROR. "He was a very competent man in private life he was very kind and very caring.". for only $11.00 $9.35/page. When former Triumph and Leyland Special Tuning man Richard Seth Smith arrives, proffering a rare Rover SD1 press pack, all concerned nod sagely at the suggestion that this was yet another brilliantly conceived but indifferently executed car. Security officers kept watch from behind an extractor fan in a paint shop from where they could see a clocking point. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. If you want to see the true horrors of 1970s workplaces, have a look at the ship building industry. 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. Leyland Dozers Sacked. Had a nice blue pearlescent paint that never matched properly, sold it with the bodged paintwork at a loss. He was the main spokesman for the British Leyland combine committee which united about 40 different plants around the country, for most of the 1970s. That had to be the responsibility of management.. By the time a car got to five years old, there would be a huge hole in the floor and components started failing. 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. After two days of disciplinary hearings and appeals, BL dismissed 13 Land Rover car workers, who had been caught sleeping on the night shift. Only British Rail and its curly-edged sandwiches ranked lower in the publics estimation. What's he waiting for? 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. Mr Yates, of Coplow Close, Balsall Common, Warwickshire, claims that he was unfairly dismissed. There are inept managers everywhere.Tesco were once omnipotent. 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. Five minutes afterwards Mr Yates came out. Stories from those at the coalface. The director believes Mr Robinson was "betrayed" by a union leadership with whom he had a thorny relationship. work. "The Communist Party then dominated the factory's workforce, with many hundred Daily Workers [newspaper] being sold every day," he wrote in his blog. 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. 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. British Leyland's chairman Michael Edwardes shared that view. 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. AROnline Keith Adams 2001-2022 - please refer to the 'Terms of use' pages. 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.. Kearsley has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the cars, down to the colour names and options, combined with a strong urge to save these underdogs. Five minutes afterwards Mr Yates came out. On 10 January 1980 night-shift workers were given a wake-up warning by British Leyland management. The case against me was brought following publicity and not on the facts.. Only three men, none of them Mr Yates, had gone to the clocking point before 6.45 am, the end of the shift. Absenteeism is simply defined as an individual's frequent pattern of evasion from an obligation or duty. He was dressed. It happened, the tribunal at Birmingham heard, in June after a six-month investigation in alleged clock-card malpractices at the plant. Ideal business/holiday rental Perfect for families, friends and work colleagues (a pet friendly home) The cottage is an attractive Grade ll listed property recently totally refurbished to a high standard maintaining its character and charm, an unusual build with Venetian type windows and a . "He is quoted as saying: 'If we make Leyland successful, it will be a political victory. The former British Leyland worker and trade unionist Derek Robinson has died, aged 90. Back in 2011, I visited a fair-sized barn in North Yorkshire full of Maestros, Montegos and the odd Metro. 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. Five minutes afterwards Mr Yates came out. BLMC was created in 1968 by the merger of British Motor Holdings (BMH) and Leyland Motor Corporation (LMC), encouraged by the Wilson . Derek 'Red Robbo' Robinson led a long-running battle against management at the British Leyland plant in Longbridge throughout the 1970s. However, someone should have really gone at Lyons (head of Jag) and put him firmly in his place. Mr Robinson, one of the most famous trade unionists of the 1970s, was dubbed Red Robbo by the media. First edition. 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. Salary: 24,000 - 28,000 per annum including sleep-in allowance. Derek Robinson - Red Robbo - speaks to striking British Leyland workers in Cofton Park. But taking a bed to work was a deliberate act of anticipation.. it was just part of a long running campaign by the mainly right wing press that had gone on since the end of WW2 against organized labour. Then, on 16 November 1979, another BL plant was in the news for similar reasons. 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. 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