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. Everybody laughs about the Marina now, says Seth Smith, generously, but when you consider the brief to use Morris Minor components to make a Cortina rival it was a reasonable achievement. These were blamed by managers for delays to production of 62,000 cars and 113,000 engines, costing the business an estimated 200m. 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. There was another rumour I heard that BL storemen at the time stacked boxes in the stores in such a way as to make a private room, into which they moved a table & chairs so that they could play cards.. 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. 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. Derek Robinson - nicknamed "Red Robbo" by tabloid newspapers - was one of the biggest names in the trade union movement during the 1970s. Mr Robinson, one of the most famous trade unionists of the 1970s, was dubbed Red Robbo by the media. The paint turned dull and flat quite quickly. Only three men, none of them Mr Yates, had gone to the clocking point before 6.45 am, the end of the shift. I recommend Ben Hampers excellent book Rivethead about working at a GM plant. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. A stickler for historical accuracy he has recently performed the marathon task of mining the online newspaper articles for all BMC>MG related stories. Two of them had clocked 24 or 25 cards. By Business Ideas UK October 31, 2017. after annual holidays (see 5 July). Similar incidents had occurred before and appropriate action had been taken. From the Shop Stewards point of view BL management had entered into an agreement with them to end piecework and, a few years later, they were trying to renege on the deal. The company remained a ward of the state for 13 years. Underinvestment and a lack of new models had resulted in BLs car market share falling dramatically. Doubling up as it was known-working extra fast so you could bunk off-wasnt confined to BL either. 1983 Cowley Moles. Mr Robinson . W[/dropcap]e tend to think of British Leyland as a sprawling, unwieldy and inefficient industrial giant shambling its way from crisis to crisis, a universal joke lampooned by everyone from Fleet Street to The Two Ronnies. Inside British Leyland Stories from those at the coalface. Political party. Do I have to update my blue V5 to a red V5C? Following his dismissal, Mr Robinson worked as a tutor in trade union studies during the 1980s and 1990s, teaching shop stewards. Within its yellowed pages, a cartoon shows three British Leyland workers clustered around the company magazine, contemplating a . 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. I am worried sick." But why had Mr Robinson's fellow workers not supported him? "We all worked like hell to make it work" Inside British Leyland. Absenteeism is simply defined as an individual's frequent pattern of evasion from an obligation or duty. Product details page for Corgi Original Omnibus Leyland PD3 'Queen Mary' Southdown NBC is loaded. Video, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. 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. 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. 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. DeSantis won't say he's running. Exterior view of British Leyland Strandard Triumph works entrance and gatehouse at Canley, Coventry . 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. The Daily Mail claimed that the car firm British Leyland was paying bribes, and was exposed for printing a ludicrous hoax. 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. Its just a shame that for a lot of the 70s they were rightly derided for their quality. Sell Your Car On Honest John Classics For Free. Do they take well to polishing, T-Cut, or is a respray the remediation? We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. 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. 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. . The public believed the brand was the cheapest and Tesco seemed poised to conquer every field of commerce. An uncompromising and . The worker participation scheme at British Leyland was known as the Ryder Plan. This British Leyland collection is diverse, huge and full of interest. This support saved brands such as Jaguar, Land Rover and Mini from . Mr Robinson, one of the most famous trade unionists of the 1970s, was dubbed Red Robbo by the media. Salary: 24,000 - 28,000 per annum including sleep-in allowance. 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. First edition. Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in, Dubbed Red Robbo by the press, the Communist Party memberrepresented workers in car manufacturing during the pre-Thatcher era, Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile. When we were given more money to buy, say, new transfer lines, says Seth Smith, we were restricted by government rules to buying sometimes inferior local tooling., Then there was the way that the cars were produced. The former British Leyland worker and trade unionist Derek Robinson has died, aged 90. 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. 2023 BBC. Enter your username or email to reset your password. Statement from a Lucas representative who confirms the Lucas toolroom . 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 . 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. Initially, the workers came out in support of Mr Robinson, he said. ( Somehow an orchestra trying to perform a punk record would be comical). 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. By Chris Hampson. Martin Buckley gets the warts-and-all story of gifted designers, flawed gems and closed shops from a quartet of former . He was in charge of 32 men on the night shift who were dismissed, disciplined, or 'who resigned rather than be dismissed. Learn how your comment data is processed. The company refused to comment while a hearing was still continuing into charges against a Superintendent. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? 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 . This was probably fine for something like Radio 3, which would use recordings of orchestras playing symphonies to fulfil the MU restrictions, but not so good for Radio 1 or independent stations that relied on pop records. As a young man, his first job was selling the newly launched Maestro at a BL dealership in his native Cumbria. 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 . A stalwart of the Norfolk Mini Owners Club for nearly a decade he is an enthusiast for all things Issigonis. Ray Horrocks (right), the head of BL Cars, told Chairman Michael Edwardes: We talk of regaining management control and applying proper discipline. Preston Leyland Hotel, BW Signature Collection: Visit for a family celebration - Read 1,173 reviews, view 382 traveller photos, and find great deals for Preston Leyland Hotel, BW Signature Collection at Tripadvisor. 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! 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. Even today, there are certain professions where . 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. 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.. 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. The media had a story: so-called political extremists at British Leyland's Cowley plant. In the 1980s and 90s, Mr Robinson worked as a tutor in trade union studies, teaching shop stewards. Ultimately it would become nationalised as British Leyland, often referred to as just BL.In 1986 it was renamed to Rover Group.. History. Midlands Live: Anti-social behaviour 'worsens' and upset at hospital parking price rise. 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. So says Simon Pearson of his time at the much-maligned British Leyland. 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. Currently he owns a Jaguar and two classic Minis. 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. 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. 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. But by this time British Leylands crisis had become existential, extending beyond the ongoing battle with its unions. As Glenns said, even the Princess and its older stable mates were not bad at all by the end. 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. work. Mr Yates, of Coplow Close, Balsall Common, Warwickshire, claims that he was unfairly dismissed. Five minutes afterwards Mr Yates came out. BL described this as potentially dangerous. 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. 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. Read about our approach to external linking. He added that communists active in Unite "mourned the loss of their most distinguished veteran, a mentor and guide to us all". Job Type: Permanent, Full-Time. Belated attempts to set up acceptable new output targets had been resisted by the Shop Stewards. 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. 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". 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. He was credited with causing 523 walkouts at British Leyland between 1978 and 1979, costing an estimated 200 million in lost . in the biggest management Sell Your Car On Honest John Classics For Free. I realised that it wasnt going to sell somehow it had no presence. 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. 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