"I can sleep sound at night because I never betrayed the workers I was elected to represent," he said. 2023 BBC. Opinion : Derek Robinson: Victim or villain? Is the 1990 Ford Escort Bonus a classic car? It was cosmetic rather than structural rust but terrible for the cars reputation. The measured day rate replaced piece work at around 1970-1974 IIRC. 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 Government should also be enthusiastic. I can't think of anyone who . He was a controversial figure throughout his lifetime but Derek Robinson remains a working class hero to many. It was about two oclock in the afternoon. He was sitting opposite Mr Robinson when the union convenor was finally dismissed. He will give evidence today. British Leyland, Britain's largest automaker, faced bankruptcy in 1975. 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. 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. My god it was awful, it was bought . I was involved in hire and lease sales, he explains, and if someone wanted an XJ6 or a Stag, I just told them that they had to take half a dozen Marinas as well., Greenhill worked at BMC/BL for 13 years, starting as a Technical sales apprentice in 1966 and finishing up as Jaguars marketing manager when the SIII XJ was launched. 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. The biggest problem was scabs of rust breaking through the paint all over the car within a couple of years. 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. In my opinion Stokes was let down by his board. 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. It was a fantastic shape but, when I parked it, nobody looked at it. 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.. It employed 200,000 people and was the fifth largest . Do I have to update my blue V5 to a red V5C? How many CEOs could you describe in those terms today? Zafer went to Stokes memorial service: People stood up and said some great things about him: told the truth. "He wasn't at all like what the media portrayed him as in the 1970s," he said. Furthermore most of their fathers, uncles, etc. Sell Your Car On Honest John Classics For Free. The company assumed its current name in 1982. But the car giant had been hit hard by post-war economic struggles and had developed a reputation for producing low-quality cars. Not just the NHS government in general! Did the media have it in for British Leyland? I hadnt been there for many years. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. Two of them had clocked 24 or 25 cards. Leyland Dozers Sacked. The men at Drews Lane had worked to rule for several weeks in protest at management attempts to stop them leaving early. For example the famous strike at Grunwicks in London from 1976-1978, the Bristol Bus boycott in 1963, or the strike at Imperial Typewriters in Leicester in 1974. 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. 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. Undermining the shopfloor Where can you get quick classic car insurance quotes? "There were big strikes across British Leyland, but union leaders instructed them to go back to work," Mr Loach believes. Your email address will not be published. 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.. At the time the industrial giant was believed to be the sixth largest car manufacturer in the world, with 11 marques - Austin, Austin-Healey, Daimler, Jaguar, MG, Morris, Riley, Rover, Triumph, Vanden Plas and Wolseley - and factories across the globe. Perhaps more importantly, the rational economy, which includes companies like ICJ, Racal and . 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 . 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. 2023 BBC. Read about our approach to external linking. 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. The pamphlet said: All our efforts and resources must be mobilised to change the policy of closures and contraction. In February 1980, less than a year after Margaret Thatcher became prime minister, thousands of car workers gathered following the sacking of one man. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Had similar on a 2002 406, at the door bottoms, possibly because of a bad seal. 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.. 20 illustrated plate. A further confrontation with the Transport and General Workers Union over BLs imposition of new working practices in April saw market share slump further to 13 per centin June 1980. What fire was my friends answer to which the policeman pointed to the mess of the building next door and the thirty fire engines surrounding it! It will prove that ordinary working people have got the intelligence and determination to run industry'. "He's to be hugely respected.". With two successive name changes, British Leyland became BL Limited in 1979. The ADO15 MINI IS LAUNCHED TODAY Some extracts from the Times description of the new, NEW YORK TIMES COMPANY NEWS; Jaguar Is Planning To Cut Production AP Published: Thursday, February, Production of British Leylands new Morris Marina was at a standstill last night following a, British Motor Holdings the joining of BMC and Jaguar, Opinion : Celebrating 40 years of the Austin Maestro, The cars : Austin Maestro (LC10) development story, The cars : Land Rover Freelander (CB40) development story, Opinion : Austin Maestro a tale of unfulfilled promise, Opinion : Why unrest plagued the Maestros launch, The cars : Vauxhall Cavalier Mk3 development story, eBay Find of the Week : Rover 45 with less than 2k miles on the clock, Archive : Jaguar Is Planning To Cut Production, Archive : Strike by 80 halts Marina output. The hours I spent with Simon, Richard, Alan and Tim confirm that belief. DeSantis won't say he's running. The public believed the brand was the cheapest and Tesco seemed poised to conquer every field of commerce. But the political mood of the country was changing. Be the first to rate this post. Mr Robinson worked as an engineering apprentice during the Second World War, progressing on to become shop steward at a plant in Longbridge. I pointed out that we paid them until 4.30pm. 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. As a young man, his first job was selling the newly launched Maestro at a BL dealership in his native Cumbria. Where can you get cheap classic car insurance? Then, on 16 November 1979, another BL plant was in the news for similar reasons. But if the SD1 receives a vote of confidence, what about the great unmentionables the likes of the Allegro, Marina and Princess? British Leyland would once again become a privately-owned company and the size of the state sector would be reduced. Unite general secretary Len McCluskey said: "History will show that Derek was unfairly maligned by the media as he aimed to find solutions to British Leyland's industrial disputes and turn around the car company. Inside British Leyland Stories from those at the coalface. The SOLICITOR-GENERAL for SCOTLAND (Lord McCluskey) The struggle for equality at work. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. Ray Horrocks (right), the head of BL Cars, told Chairman Michael Edwardes: We talk of regaining management control and applying proper discipline. This year's foundling is British Leyland's first new Rover sedan in 13 years. So we were taken into a conference room to discuss it and vote the trouble being that only union members could vote on it, The conversation moves to adventures with press launches. And apart from the stupid steering wheel, the Allegro was pretty good, and a lot less labourintensive to produce than the 1100/1300., Was the UK press quicker to stick the boot in when things went wrong than they were in, say, France? 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. A stalwart of the Norfolk Mini Owners Club for nearly a decade he is an enthusiast for all things Issigonis. 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. Not really, its just moved from BL to the NHS. 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. 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. Whether or not unions in the UK took industrial action more than unions in Europe and North America is a moot point, much of the rubbish produced by the NoW, Daily Mail etc is treated as if it was historical fact nowdays where it should be regarded as propaganda. A Supervisor who was sleeping was also dismissed, along with a Foreman. work. But taking a bed to work was a deliberate act of anticipation.. He was accessible to all, cogent and a listener! Red Robbo speaks to striking workers at Longbridge in the 1970s. Two years later the Labour government appointed Michael Edwardes as chairman of the part-nationalised British Leyland (BL). Stories from those at the coalface. Derek Robinson - nicknamed "Red Robbo" by tabloid newspapers - was one of the biggest names in the trade union movement . Kearsley has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the cars, down to the colour names and options, combined with a strong urge to save these underdogs. Ultimately it would become nationalised as British Leyland, often referred to as just BL.In 1986 it was renamed to Rover Group.. History. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Back in 2011, I visited a fair-sized barn in North Yorkshire full of Maestros, Montegos and the odd Metro. 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. He added that communists active in Unite "mourned the loss of their most distinguished veteran, a mentor and guide to us all". "These words are a suitable epithet for a stalwart of the trade union movement, whose passing we mourn.". Pay and Contract. 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. Lancashire's workers have increased the amount of hours they put in by 1.5% since . She said: My husband rang to tell me that they have all lost their jobs.. 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. "But they are going to appeal against the decision. Family Cottage near Leyland, Lancashire. The British rail class 153 super sprinters are single car units converted in the 1990s from British Leyland built two-car class 155s. Continue with Recommended Cookies. Mr Robinson, one of the most famous trade unionists of the 1970s, was dubbed Red Robbo by the media. So says Simon Pearson of his time at the much-maligned British Leyland. Tributes have been paid to former British Leyland worker and trade unionist Derek Robinson, who has died, aged 90. What's he waiting for? First edition. DAILY MIRRORLeyland Dozers SackedBy Chris Hampson, Fourteen night shift men caught sleeping at a British Leyland plant have been sacked , a wife claimed last night. Read about our approach to external linking. 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. We all worked like hell to make it work Inside British Leyland. Following the election of Margaret Thatcher in May 1979, the government and BL sought to implement a recovery plan to save the ailing company. 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. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Musgrovemay well have beenreferring to the Drews Lane plant in Birmingham. 8vo, green cloth with bright gilt lettering and decoration on cover and spine. Email Print. 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. At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece. "The Communist Party then dominated the factory's workforce, with many hundred Daily Workers [newspaper] being sold every day," he wrote in his blog. That had to be the responsibility of management.. The former British Leyland worker and trade unionist Derek Robinson has died, aged 90. He will give evidence today. Once part of the sprawling British Leyland automotive empire that epitomised Britain's industrial decline . Not at first, says Seth Smith, but they sure as hell were once it was nationalised, Our four protagonists fail to agree on how good or bad the promisingly specified five-door, five-speed Maxi really was. Where can you get quick classic car insurance quotes? Political party. 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. Salary: 24,000 - 28,000 per annum including sleep-in allowance. But why had Mr Robinson's fellow workers not supported him? We had a LDV van at work for about 7 years. 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. And said some great things about him: told the truth measured day rate replaced piece at! The former British Leyland, Britain & # x27 ; s industrial decline Lane had worked to for..., one of the 1970s, was dubbed red Robbo speaks to striking workers at Longbridge in the news similar... 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