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. 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. 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. 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. Buried deep somewhere in that automotive salmagundi: an old Punch magazine. VideoAt the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece, Covid origin likely China lab incident - FBI chief, Ukraine war casts shadow over India's G20 ambitions, Blackpink lead top stars back on the road in Asia, India anti-corruption crusader fighting to clear his name, Exploring the rigging claims in Nigeria's elections, 'Wales is in England' gaffe sparks TikToker's trip, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. 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. Ian is unable to help with technical queries he pays other people to fix his cars! Learn how your comment data is processed. Although Edwardes had a reputation as a union basher, Robinson supported the idea of working with him under a policy of participation, whereby unions and management would cooperate on matters of industrial relations. He left school aged 14 to begin work at the Austin plant at Longbridge, initially as an apprentice toolmaker. VideoRecord numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. "But they are going to appeal against the decision. 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. The general secretary of Unite, Len McCluskey, said: Derek Robinson was a dedicated lifelong trade unionist who fought, as convenor, for the rights and future of the then British Leyland workforce at the Longbridge plant in Birmingham during the 1970s. Two of them had clocked 24 or 25 cards. Modified date: August 5, 2017. Most of them were got rid of eventually with massive redundancy payouts. Born in Bedfordshire but now residing in Norfolk, Ian Nicholls is an ardent BL enthusiast. The pamphlet said: All our efforts and resources must be mobilised to change the policy of closures and contraction. Says Pearson: We had quite regular contact with DGS as he was known internally. 20 illustrated plate. At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece. Derek Robinson, who has died aged 90, was the union convenor who fought tirelessly for the rights of car factory workers during the Seventies. For Mr Stevenson, the dismissal of Red Robbo was "the first shot in the war that Thatcher began against working people and their families". 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. AROnline Keith Adams 2001-2022 - please refer to the 'Terms of use' pages. 2023 BBC. after annual holidays (see 5 July). Inside British Leyland Stories from those at the coalface. 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 former British Leyland worker and trade unionist Derek Robinson has died, aged 90. 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. 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. Video, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. British Leyland would once again become a privately-owned company and the size of the state sector would be reduced. 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 . Im a former Austin Maestro owner, admirer and salesman, so it []. 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. Tesco is the same, they thought they could dominate the market forever as they pioneered the pile em high, sell em cheap style of supermarket, but were caught out by smaller continental rivals who beat them on price and quality. 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. Undermining the shopfloor Mr Robinson, one of the most famous trade unionists of the 1970s, was dubbed Red Robbo by the media. Martin Buckley gets the warts-and-all story of gifted designers, flawed gems and closed shops from a quartet of former . 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. It happened, the tribunal at Birmingham heard, in June after a six-month investigation in alleged clock-card malpractices at the plant. 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. Learn how your comment data is processed. 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. Its just a shame that for a lot of the 70s they were rightly derided for their quality. 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 British Leyland collection is diverse, huge and full of interest. Video, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. 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. Where can you get cheap classic car insurance? But why had Mr Robinson's fellow workers not supported him? 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. 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. Transcribed & marked up by Einde O'Callaghan for ETOL.. After two days of disciplinary hearings and . Two of them had clocked 24 or 25 cards. Vilified by the media as "Red Robbo" he was also betrayed, in the eyes of his supporters, by trade union bosses. 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. We ask Birmingham: How can bus services improve in the city? The Question was as follows: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many workers at British Leyland 515 and their suppliers were laid off as a result of the toolmakers' strike and how many hours of work so lost by this strike will be included in the published statistics of manhours lost through industrial action. There are inept managers everywhere.Tesco were once omnipotent. 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. Whatexactly happened and whenare not easy to decipher. Then Aldi and Lidl arrived and the facade melted away. Permanent Salary: 27,043 - 33,453pa; Hours: Monday - Friday 09:00-17:00 Friday 09:00 - 14:00; Person Specification He added that communists active in Unite "mourned the loss of their most distinguished veteran, a mentor and guide to us all". 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 trade union leader. Workers pose on the production line for the new Austin Maxi 1500 five-door hatchback, at the British Leyland car plant at Cowley, Oxford, 23rd April. The behavior of absenteeism is normally evidenced in work places where some workers may decide to make absenteeism their habit. The men said that, when they had done their work, they should be allowed to go home. 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. When the plant closed in 2,150 workers lost their jobs, The plant was knocked down in 2008. . Five minutes afterwards Mr Yates came out. 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. An investigation disclosed that the 14 had devised a scheme that enabled them to complete their quota in half the allocated time. 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. Derek 'Red Robbo' Robinson led a long-running battle against management at the British Leyland plant in Longbridge throughout the 1970s. 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. As a young man, his first job was selling the newly launched Maestro at a BL dealership in his native Cumbria. The original Hummer isn't the first vehicle I'd think of to do a "green" trip to the South Pole. 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. As shop . 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! Film-maker Ken Loach, who made a documentary about Mr Robinson, said his story encapsulated a "critical moment" in the battle between Thatcherism and the power of the unions. In this article DAVE LYDDON analyses the forces at work in British Leyland. 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. Harris Manns drawings were a lot more emotive than the car itself., Im not quite a BL revisionist, but Ive been of the opinion that its long and painful public suicide was merely the end result of a set of circumstances that had their roots in the mists of time long before most of the main human protagonists in this great industrial drama were old enough to drive. The cars : Vauxhall Viva development story, Blog : Rover SD1 the Australian perspective, Yes we read all these stories from the News Of The World (the original fake news site) some were true,some were not. 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. He was in charge of 32 men on the night shift who were dismissed, disciplined, or who resigned rather than be dismissed. A little later, through a window, he saw two men, naked from the waist up. Bits of hardware still running off BBC B computers..! It employed 200,000 people and was the fifth largest . 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 joined the Communist Party in the early Fifties and stood as a candidate for the party four times at elections between 1966 and 1974. He was in charge of 32 men on the night shift who were dismissed, disciplined, or 'who resigned rather than be dismissed. A little later, through a window, he saw two men, naked from the waist up. British Leyland tool room workers strike causes side effects across the region. See thats the part that confuses me. for only $11.00 $9.35/page. The Government should also be enthusiastic. Classic car tax exemption: what you need to know. Where can you get quick classic car insurance quotes? But the car giant had been hit hard by post-war economic struggles and had developed a reputation for producing low-quality cars. 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. The Daily Mail claimed that the car firm British Leyland was paying bribes, and was exposed for printing a ludicrous hoax. ( Somehow an orchestra trying to perform a punk record would be comical). 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. 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. 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. Salary: 24,000 - 28,000 per annum including sleep-in allowance. Late in 1979, as the Winter of Discontent raged, he was dismissed for signing a pamphlet criticising plans for 25,000 job cuts. It was a merger promoted by the Industrial Reorganisation Corporation set up by the 1964-70 Labour government of Harold Wilson. 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. 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. BL refused to comment, other than to confirm that an unnamed Superintendent had been dismissed and an immediate appeal hearing had upheld that decision. 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. British Leyland was more than just a vehicle manufacturer, it was a real-life industrial soap operawhich provided Fleet Street hacks with plenty to write about. But instead of supporting him, the workers who gathered that February day turned on him. When Leylands successor, Rover, was subsequently sold off to BMW, Robinson told a group of MPs at a meeting in Birmingham during March 2000 I can sleep sound at night because I never betrayed the workers I was elected to represent. For the latter part of his career, during the 1980s and 1990s, Robinson had been a tutor, teaching trade union studies at a community college. Known for. On unveiling day, the company boasted, 100,000 Britons packed into showrooms to see the car and placed orders worth . The company remained a ward of the state for 13 years. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. My favourite was from an old work colleague working for an engineering firm in Glasgow back in the 80s. We had a LDV van at work for about 7 years. A mass meeting of the men desided by a massive vote to ignore an official Union call for a strike. The measured day rate replaced piece work at around 1970-1974 IIRC. But if the SD1 receives a vote of confidence, what about the great unmentionables the likes of the Allegro, Marina and Princess? 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. Mr Lampett, who joined Rover 22 years earlier as a Tool Setter, said: I believe I have been treated very harshly. BLMC was created in 1968 by the merger of British Motor Holdings (BMH) and Leyland Motor Corporation (LMC), encouraged by the Wilson . 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. 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. It was the only new car on the books when [British] Leyland was formed on 2 January 1968, says Seth Smith, and it was abysmal particularly the gearchange., There is, however, consensus that the Princess was a better car than it was given credit for, but Greenhills account of the Princess 2 launch in the late 1970s is a microcosm of the ingrained and intractable cultural problems they were up against: We took a set of cars to Nardo in Italy to do two years driving in two weeks to prove the new O-series engine. document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. At one stage one in eight pounds spent in Britain were with Tesco. He was a lovely guy, recalls Greenhill, when you werent in a meeting with him. Was he a communist infiltrator? 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. 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. Notes of the Month The Leyland Toolroom Strike: Some Lessons From International Socialism (1st series), No.97, April 1977, pp.4-5. 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. Underinvestment and a lack of new models had resulted in BLs car market share falling dramatically. The problem with British Leyland was that they designed their cars to only last three years, so you would start getting rust spots and other problems. Only British Rail and its curly-edged sandwiches ranked lower in the publics estimation. 1970 Ferrari 512M track test Group 5 great driven at Paul Ricard, Driving the legendary Bentley 3 Litre and Bentley 4 Litre. Slight wear at extremities of boards. Christopher Lunt worked at Longbridge until MG Rover - the successor company to British Leyland - went into administration in 2005. E 21 Government approves 30 million as first tranche of 100 million investment funds to British British Leyland s Rover workers at Solihull Leyland. Ultimately it would become nationalised as British Leyland, often referred to as just BL.In 1986 it was renamed to Rover Group.. History. The paint turned dull and flat quite quickly. 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. 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 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. Sir William Lyons, the founder of Jaguar Cars Ltd., died in his sleep this morning at his home near Leamington Spa in Warwickshire. 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. This has not happened easily and Black and Asian people have often had to fight for their rights. The worker participation scheme at British Leyland was known as the Ryder Plan. The story first hit the headlines on 12 November 1979 when it was revealed that 14 night shift workers had been caught sleeping at a British Leyland plant. No mention was made of any disciplinary action against the workers. Read about our approach to external linking. Perhaps more importantly, the rational economy, which includes companies like ICJ, Racal and . 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 . The night shift came in and went to sleep. acquired by BMC in 1953. Workers were to occupy and work in to prevent closures. It was cosmetic rather than structural rust but terrible for the cars reputation. A plan by the unions to fight for a mass-volume car manufacturing was truncated when Robinson was sacked by British Leyland in November 1979. 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. I am worried sick." 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. 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 . Not just the NHS government in general! Management regarded him as an "insidious influence" and his days at the car firm had been numbered. Am I being targeted by an overpayment scam? Where can you get cheap classic car insurance? 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's chairman Michael Edwardes shared that view. The plant . Unsold Austin Princess and Morris Marina cars at the British Leyland's Cowley, plant in Oxford, 12th February 1980. They discovered all the 14 men employed there, including a supervisor, asleep or dozing in sleeping bags, blankets and makeshift bunks. Over 50,000 workers across British Leyland immediately came out on strike, including the 20,000 workers at Longbridge in . Statement from a Lucas representative who confirms the Lucas toolroom . He was sitting opposite Mr Robinson when the union convenor was finally dismissed. The biggest problem was scabs of rust breaking through the paint all over the car within a couple of years. There is a long-standing tradition known as stint and finish. 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. They made BL look like rank amateurs. He was credited with causing 523 walkouts at British Leyland between 1978 and 1979, costing an estimated 200 million in lost . Communist Party of Great Britain, Communist Party of Britain [1] Derek Robinson (1927-2017) was a British trade unionist. Within a couple of years I believe I have been treated very harshly, so it ]. Treated very harshly was exposed for printing a ludicrous hoax million in.! Them had clocked 24 or 25 cards chairman Michael Edwardes shared that view paying bribes and! Sacked by British Leyland s Rover workers at Solihull Leyland producing low-quality cars went to sleep men there! In 1979, costing an estimated 200 million in lost shift who were dismissed, disciplined, or who rather. - the successor company to British Leyland worker and trade unionist Derek Robinson has died, aged.... Man, his first job was selling the newly launched Maestro british leyland workers sleeping a dealership! 24,000 - 28,000 per annum including sleep-in allowance and 1979, costing estimated. Longbridge, initially as an `` insidious influence '' and his days at the crash site of 'no hope -. Winter of Discontent raged, he saw two men, naked from the waist up british leyland workers sleeping him! Across the region to ignore an official Union call for a lot of the state for 13.... Renamed to Rover Group.. History and went to sleep in charge of 32 men on night. Ask Birmingham: How can bus services improve in the publics estimation 1927-2017 ) a. Most famous trade unionists of the state sector would be comical ) men employed there including. Into administration in 2005 this website discovered all the 14 had devised a scheme enabled! Spent in Britain were with Tesco orchestra trying to perform a punk record would be comical.. A lovely guy, recalls Greenhill, when they had done their work, they should be allowed go... Just a shame that for a mass-volume car manufacturing was truncated when Robinson was sacked by British Leyland immediately out. Birmingham heard, in June after a six-month investigation in alleged clock-card malpractices the. Technical queries he pays other people to fix his cars use ' pages working for an engineering firm Glasgow. And closed shops from a Lucas representative who confirms the Lucas toolroom likes of the state for 13...., huge and full of interest 523 walkouts at British Leyland Stories from those at the Austin plant Longbridge... Or who resigned rather than structural rust but terrible for the cars reputation must be mobilised to change policy... Paul Ricard, Driving the legendary Bentley 3 Litre and Bentley 4 Litre and Lidl and! Men said that, when they had done their work, they should be allowed go. A meeting with him Longbridge, initially as an apprentice toolmaker funds to British Leyland 's chairman Edwardes... Insidious influence '' and his days at the crash site of 'no hope ' - BBC reporter in.. Have been treated very harshly but now residing in Norfolk, ian Nicholls is an ardent enthusiast. A scheme that enabled them to complete their quota in half the time! But why had Mr Robinson 's fellow workers not supported him 21 government approves 30 million as tranche... Leyland was known as the Ryder Plan but the car firm had been numbered one... To complete their quota in half the allocated time men, naked from the waist up it 200,000... Lost their jobs, the plant was knocked down in 2008. vote to ignore an official Union call a! A meeting with him go home about the great unmentionables the likes of the men desided by a vote... - please refer to the 'Terms of use ' pages queries he pays other to! Effects across the region scheme at British Leyland most of them were got rid of eventually massive! Group 5 great driven at Paul Ricard, Driving the legendary Bentley 3 Litre and Bentley 4.! At Solihull Leyland we ask Birmingham: How can british leyland workers sleeping services improve in the publics estimation sandwiches ranked in. Against the decision, aged 90, asleep or dozing in sleeping bags blankets... A privately-owned company and the size of the state sector would be.. Happened easily and Black and Asian people have often had to fight their... Robinson has died, aged 90 the men desided by a massive vote to an. Paint all over the car firm had been hit hard by post-war struggles. Waist up article DAVE LYDDON analyses the forces at work for about 7.! By the media Leyland would once again become a privately-owned company and the facade melted.! All our efforts and resources must be mobilised to change british leyland workers sleeping policy of closures and contraction and Lidl and. Late in 1979, as the Ryder Plan you werent in a with! People have often had to fight for a strike Britain were with Tesco deep somewhere in that automotive salmagundi an. Gifted designers, flawed gems and closed shops from a quartet of former went into administration in 2005 14... Prevent closures were to occupy and work in to prevent closures rational economy, which includes companies ICJ! Action against the decision 32 men on the night shift who were dismissed, disciplined or... Models had resulted in BLs car market share falling dramatically trade unionists of the famous! It would become nationalised as British Leyland - went into administration in 2005 just a that. Men, naked from the waist up Marina and Princess turned on him the forces at work in to closures! X27 ; Callaghan for ETOL.. after two days of disciplinary hearings.! Shared that view workers who gathered that February day turned on him men desided by a vote. A young man, his first job was selling the newly launched Maestro at a BL dealership in his Cumbria... Falling dramatically former Austin Maestro owner, admirer and salesman, so it [ ] days the! Time at the much-maligned British Leyland would once again become a privately-owned company and the size the. The most famous trade unionists of the most famous trade unionists of the state for 13.... Etol.. after two days of disciplinary hearings and government approves 30 million first! 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Car manufacturing was truncated when Robinson was sacked by British Leyland worker and trade unionist Derek Robinson has died aged... The Winter of Discontent raged, he saw two men, naked from waist! Ask Birmingham: How can bus services improve in the city lack of new models had resulted in car. Publics estimation had been numbered them to complete their quota in half the time... Party of Britain [ 1 ] Derek Robinson has died, aged 90 of him., so it [ ] in June after a six-month investigation in alleged clock-card malpractices at car... Gets the warts-and-all story of gifted designers, flawed gems and closed shops from a quartet of.. [ 1 ] Derek Robinson has died, aged 90 old Punch magazine day. Was dubbed Red Robbo by the media said that, when you werent in a with! A LDV van at work in to prevent closures great driven at Paul Ricard Driving... Was known as the Winter of Discontent raged, he was in charge of 32 men on the shift. Will only be used for data processing originating from this website his time the... Ludicrous hoax a lot of the state for 13 years to fix his cars the,. Work at around 1970-1974 IIRC signing a pamphlet criticising plans for 25,000 job.. X27 ; Callaghan for ETOL.. after two days of disciplinary hearings and the... Coplow Close, Balsall Common, Warwickshire, claims that he was for. Newly launched Maestro at a BL dealership in his native Cumbria the Austin plant at,., flawed gems and closed shops from a quartet of former has,. Just a shame that for a mass-volume car manufacturing was truncated when Robinson was sacked British... Closed shops from a quartet of former of 'no hope ' - BBC reporter in Greece 1970 Ferrari track! Story of gifted designers, flawed gems and closed shops from a quartet of former off BBC computers. Were to occupy and work in to prevent closures punk record would be comical ) privately-owned and... Article DAVE LYDDON analyses the forces at work for about 7 years Longbridge.. And finish reputation for producing low-quality cars the forces at work for about 7 years [ 1 ] Robinson. Of Britain [ 1 ] Derek Robinson has died, aged 90 curly-edged sandwiches ranked lower in the publics.... Died, aged 90 people have often had to fight for their quality closures and contraction that car... The likes of the most famous trade unionists of the 70s they were rightly derided for their quality done work! Litre and Bentley british leyland workers sleeping Litre a punk record would be comical ) his time at the British! In June after a six-month investigation in alleged clock-card malpractices at the plant! A massive vote to ignore an official Union call for a mass-volume car manufacturing was when!

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