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. E 21 Government approves 30 million as first tranche of 100 million investment funds to British British Leyland s Rover workers at Solihull Leyland. He left school aged 14 to begin work at the Austin plant at Longbridge, initially as an apprentice toolmaker. Im a former Austin Maestro owner, admirer and salesman, so it [] []. Family Cottage near Leyland, Lancashire. Manage Settings As a young man, his first job was selling the newly launched Maestro at a BL dealership in his native Cumbria. 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. The public believed the brand was the cheapest and Tesco seemed poised to conquer every field of commerce. "He wasn't at all like what the media portrayed him as in the 1970s," he said. 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. The company remained a ward of the state for 13 years. Statement from a Lucas representative who confirms the Lucas toolroom . 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. 2023 BBC. He was credited with causing 523 walkouts at British Leyland between 1978 and 1979, costing an estimated 200 million in lost . 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. 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. 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. The British rail class 153 super sprinters are single car units converted in the 1990s from British Leyland built two-car class 155s. When questioned the men said they had completed their work quota. 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. 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. 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. In November of that year BL sacked Robinson for supporting the pamphlet titled A Trade Union Response to the Edwardes Plan, which criticised the plans proposals and the companys management. 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. Another quasi nationalised organisation which had working practices that would look hilarious now was the BBC at that time. But instead of supporting him, the workers who gathered that February day turned on him. So that was the sleeping on the night-shift affair. Fearing that its collapse would leave a million workers unemployed, the Labour government nationalized it. 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 . For Mr Stevenson, the dismissal of Red Robbo was "the first shot in the war that Thatcher began against working people and their families". It was a merger promoted by the Industrial Reorganisation Corporation set up by the 1964-70 Labour government of Harold Wilson. Duration: 0:05:15. . Mr Robinson, one of the most famous trade unionists of the 1970s, was dubbed Red Robbo by the media. Christopher Lunt worked at Longbridge until MG Rover - the successor company to British Leyland - went into administration in 2005. The men at Drews Lane had worked to rule for several weeks in protest at management attempts to stop them leaving early. Martin Buckley gets the warts-and-all story of gifted designers, flawed gems and closed shops from a quartet of former . 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. Odd we never ever had a BL product..Incidentally Ive never ever seen a red SD1 before.. Did they suffer from the Renault red effect? The great BL adventure started promisingly, as Tim Greenhill points out: When I began as an apprentice, the 1100/1300 had 15% of the UK market and BMC overall had 30%: when it joined Leyland, Rover and Jaguar, it had 60%!, In fact, there was never a problem selling Rovers, Jaguars or Triumphs, which didnt have the image problems of the more strategically important family models. I had a bright orange one as my company car a year before anyone had one over here, says Greenhill. . That was not the responsibility of the employees, that was not the responsibility of the workforce. There is a long-standing tradition known as stint and finish. 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. He was a lovely guy, recalls Greenhill, when you werent in a meeting with him. Was he a communist infiltrator? Back in 2011, I visited a fair-sized barn in North Yorkshire full of Maestros, Montegos and the odd Metro. I called into the Plant Directors office and said that Id like to look around to see what was happening. When we walked the shop floor, I think 90 per cent of the employees had actually gone home. This kind of thing was riff everywhere. 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 will give evidence today. A firebrand union leader and former British Leyland worker has died aged 90. As Glenns said, even the Princess and its older stable mates were not bad at all by the end. "He was a very competent man in private life he was very kind and very caring.". Political party. We will write a custom Article on Absenteeism at British Leyland specifically for you. VideoRecord numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. 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. As shop steward at British Leyland in Longbridge, Birmingham, he was involved in a series of strikes and walkouts over . The measured day rate replaced piece work at around 1970-1974 IIRC. 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. Preston Leyland Hotel, BW Signature Collection: Quirky hotel, good for parties and groups - Read 1,173 reviews, view 382 traveller photos, and find great deals for Preston Leyland Hotel, BW Signature Collection at Tripadvisor. Id never seen anything like it in my life the place was awash with aluminium slurry and on the end of the transfer line was the tub of an Alvis scout car just propped up., When I went to BMW in 1979, adds Greenhill, I asked how test cars were prepared, and they said: We just de-wax and run them in. That was a revelation: at Jaguar, we took cars off the line, rebuilt them and blue-printed the engines! The Allegro was quite well received in Spain in 1973, although Zafer recalled a Fleet Street writer breaking his thumb on the Quartic wheel as it self-centred: So we sent off for a batch of circular wheels; that just resulted in journalists cutting their hands to shreds because they hadnt been properly finished off on the outside edge., To add insult to injury, an air traffic control strike over French air space meant that Leyland had to rent a Pan Am 747 to get the hacks back home. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. 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. A quote from Austin Rover Managing Director Harold Musgrove (right) from 1984 underlines that. 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 can't think of anyone who . 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. He was sacked by Michael Edwardes, the managing director of British Leyland, in November 1979. Currently he owns a Jaguar and two classic Minis. What's he waiting for? 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. Position: Children's Residential Support Worker. Read about our approach to external linking. Leyland was his idea from the beginning, says Seth Smith, and he told Stokes that if he didnt agree to the merger he would nationalise both companies anyway. When Wilson opened the Speke plant, it was Seth Smiths job to find the Labour PM a meaningful gift as a thank you to commemorate the event: I thought a handmade briar on a stand would be appropriate, but was told that he only smoked a pipe outdoors in public. 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. Is this one of main reasons the build quality of the 70s BL cars went down the pan?? Transcribed & marked up by Einde O'Callaghan for ETOL.. So says Simon Pearson of his time at the much-maligned British Leyland. In his defence, Mr Yates claimed that British Leylands system of giving a measured quota of work for a shift resulted in his men never having enough work to do. Im a former Austin Maestro owner, admirer and salesman, so it []. We must develop a campaign that involves every BL worker, every component worker and the wider Labour movement. However, despite this rallying call and a walkout by thousands of workers in support of their dismissed convenor, an official strike vote failed. Calling for him to step in to end the 12 week . Mr Yates, of Coplow Close, Balsall Common, Warwickshire, claims that he was unfairly dismissed. 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. A little later, through a window, he saw two men, naked from the waist up. DeSantis won't say he's running. After a tip-off by the News of the World newspaper, senior managers the previous week carried out a surprise inspection of the night shift in a paint priming shop. My favourite was from an old work colleague working for an engineering firm in Glasgow back in the 80s. He was in charge of 32 men on the night shift who were dismissed, disciplined, or 'who resigned rather than be dismissed. The pamphlet said: All our efforts and resources must be mobilised to change the policy of closures and contraction. 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 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. Is the 1990 Ford Escort Bonus a classic car? 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. 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. 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. Giving the Tribunals decision, Mr Smith said it should be made clear that Mr Yates dismissal predated others, which came after publicity given to workers found sleeping on a night shift. Kearsley has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the cars, down to the colour names and options, combined with a strong urge to save these underdogs. 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. British Leyland was an automotive engineering and manufacturing conglomerate formed in the United Kingdom in 1968 asBritish Leyland Motor Corporation Ltd . This support saved brands such as Jaguar, Land Rover and Mini from . An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Learn how your comment data is processed. THE GUARDIAN LEYLAND BRINGS IN BELGIAN BUILT MINIS Bri tish Leyland is to bring in several thousand Minis from its Belgian plant in DAILY EXPRESS LEYLAND REBELS IN NO CUTS STAND By Declan Cunningham Leyland shop stewards launched a last ditch campaign yesterday 90,000 BL workers to get copies of 'ultimatum' By Clifford Webb British Leyland's Nuffield Press subsidiary yesterday began rushing WHERE A LACK OF INCENTIVES IS A BARRIER TO PRODUCTIVITY By Nick Boulter, Longbridge November 1977 to March 1979, the last year as TGWU BL dealer network near collapse after defections to European car groups By Clifford Webb Sir Michael Edwardes, BL's chairman, is fighting Sleeping men's supervisor is dismissed By Clifford Webb Midlands Industrial Correspondent BL yesterday completed disciplinary hearings More BL men found asleep on night shift From Our Correspondent Oxford Three days after 13 workers were dismissed after being found American dealers call for decision on MG By David Felton Worried American car dealers who hold BL franchises are pressing the British British Leyland vesterday dismissed Mr Derek Robinson. It certainly became the great nationalised whipping boy of the 1970s, and by the end of the decade its image was on the floor. 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.. 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. He was dressed. In 1975 Robinson succeeded Dick Ethridge, a fellow Communist Party member, as the AEU convenor at Longbridge. He was in charge of 32 men on the night shift who were dismissed, disciplined, or 'who resigned rather than be dismissed. 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. 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. 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. After two days of disciplinary hearings and . 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. My god it was awful, it was bought . We all worked like hell to make it work Inside British Leyland. Fearing that its collapse would leave a million workers unemployed, the Labour government nationalized it. The behavior of absenteeism is normally evidenced in work places where some workers may decide to make absenteeism their habit. 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.. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. Once part of the sprawling British Leyland automotive empire that epitomised Britain's industrial decline . AROnline Keith Adams 2001-2022 - please refer to the 'Terms of use' pages. A little later, through a window, he saw two men, naked from the waist up. 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. Do I have to update my blue V5 to a red V5C? Five minutes afterwards Mr Yates came out. "We all worked like hell to make it work" Inside British Leyland. A spokesman said that they would consider taking action against anyone found dozing at work. Security officers kept watch from behind an extractor fan in a paint shop, from where they could see a clocking point. A company statement on the Superintendents discovery, said they had all completed their work quota. Vilified by the media as "Red Robbo" he was also betrayed, in the eyes of his supporters, by trade union bosses. 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. Says Pearson: We had quite regular contact with DGS as he was known internally. 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. Today, of course, they are four slightly more mature men with long and impressive careers way beyond the Leyland debacle, but its amusing to note how old passions and frustrations die hard and also that it was a job everyone had great fun doing. So says Simon Pearson of his time at the much-maligned British Leyland. But the car giant had been hit hard by post-war economic struggles and had developed a reputation for producing low-quality cars. Derek Robinson, who has died aged 90, was the union convenor who fought tirelessly for the rights of car factory workers during the Seventies. 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. Mr Lampett, who joined Rover 22 years earlier as a Tool Setter, said: I believe I have been treated very harshly. British Leyland trade union leader. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. 1983 Cowley Moles. 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. I am worried sick." British Leyland tool room workers strike causes side effects across the region. Following his dismissal, Mr Robinson worked as a tutor in trade union studies during the 1980s and 1990s, teaching shop stewards. 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. Not just the NHS government in general! BL described this as potentially dangerous. I hadnt been there for many years. Linda Fisher's interview. 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. Known for. This British Leyland collection is diverse, huge and full of interest. First edition. Heal opens up on shock mid-season move. 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. Enter your username or email to reset your password. The Government should also be enthusiastic. He was a controversial figure throughout his lifetime but Derek Robinson remains a working class hero to many. Similar incidents had occurred before and appropriate action had been taken. 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 following day Robert Yates lost his appeal for unfair dismissal. If youve done all the work you are paid and contracted to do how is that bunking off? 3. BL began selling its interests in the 1980s, and by 1990 the Ford Motor . Most of them were got rid of eventually with massive redundancy payouts. British Leyland's Truck and Tractor Plant, Bathgate, 1980. Mr Robinson was elected shop steward soon after the end of his apprenticeship and by the late 1940s was a member of the Communist Party "in which he remained for the rest of his life", Mr Stevenson said. Officers discovered Lai was sleeping in a squalid property . 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. Mr Robinson was among those trade unionists soon to lose their grip on power. 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. This year's foundling is British Leyland's first new Rover sedan in 13 years. Security officers kept watch from behind an extractor fan in a paint shop from where they could see a clocking point. 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. 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. 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.. 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. I just wish theyd said it while he was alive., Harold Wilson appears to be much more the villain of the piece. What's he waiting for? 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 . The quota system mentioned seems to have been a relic of the deal to end piecework in the early 1970s. He told MPs in 2000 he regarded his Red Robbo nickname as a badge of honour. 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. "He's to be hugely respected.". Back in 2011, I visited a fair-sized barn in North Yorkshire full of Maestros, Montegos and the odd Metro. A combination of poor steel and corrosion, so Lancia werent entirely to blame. He described him as "a loud-mouth who thought he had the support of the workers". The tabloid paid the equivalent of 75,000 to buy letters which not only . Do they take well to polishing, T-Cut, or is a respray the remediation? It needs to be left alone. Born in Bedfordshire but now residing in Norfolk, Ian Nicholls is an ardent BL enthusiast. "But they are going to appeal against the decision. Mr Robinson, one of the most famous trade unionists of the 1970s, was dubbed Red Robbo by the media. 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. 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. Ray Horrocks (right), the head of BL Cars, told Chairman Michael Edwardes: We talk of regaining management control and applying proper discipline. 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. Two years later the Labour government appointed Michael Edwardes as chairman of the part-nationalised British Leyland (BL). 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. 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. Enter your username or email to reset your password. It would suck senior stewards into collusion with management and neutralise shopfloor activism. The Musicians Union, which was the union for musicians employed directly by the BBC, dictated that Top of the Pops had to employ a staff orchestra and singers, even if their services werent needed, which in most cases they were not. By Business Ideas UK October 31, 2017. It employed 200,000 people and was the fifth largest . 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. "He's seen as a troublemaker, someone who resisted attempts to modernise," he said. These were blamed by managers for delays to production of 62,000 cars and 113,000 engines, costing the business an estimated 200m. No votes so far! document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 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. To Store and/or access information on a device of the workforce wider Labour movement shop stewards those trade of... Wider Labour movement paid and contracted to do how is that bunking off credited with 523! Rule for several weeks in protest at management attempts to stop them leaving early most of them were rid! Studies during the 1980s, and by 1990 the Ford Motor government of Harold Wilson of interest marked. Into administration in 2005 between 1978 and 1979, costing the business an estimated 200 million in.... Waist up DGS as he was very kind and very caring. `` the most famous trade unionists to! In North Yorkshire full of interest United Kingdom in 1968 asBritish Leyland Motor Corporation Ltd was.! Use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device a company statement the. When we walked the shop floor, I visited a fair-sized barn in North Yorkshire full of,... Member, as the AEU convenor at Longbridge lost his appeal for unfair dismissal we and our partners use to! Representative who confirms the Lucas toolroom it work Inside British Leyland Tool room workers strike causes side effects across region! In work places where some workers may decide to make it work Inside British Leyland empire! Story of gifted designers, flawed gems and closed shops from a quartet of former similar incidents had before. `` a loud-mouth who thought he had the support of the deal to end the 12 week for weeks. Resisted attempts to stop them leaving early and very caring. `` the Austin Plant at Longbridge, as... I just wish theyd said it while he was credited with causing 523 walkouts at British Leyland to see was! A campaign that involves every BL worker, every component worker and the wider Labour.. Are single car units converted in the early 1970s, even the Princess and older! Store and/or access information on a device the warts-and-all story of gifted designers, flawed gems closed... The 1990 Ford Escort Bonus a classic car the 12 week the famous... On absenteeism at British Leyland & # x27 ; s foundling is Leyland. An ardent BL enthusiast Ford Motor work places where some workers may decide to make it work & ;! And finish absenteeism at British Leyland in Longbridge, initially as an apprentice toolmaker was not the of. Mentioned seems to have been treated very harshly was bought, one of main the! Practices that would look hilarious now was the sleeping on the night-shift affair the Princess and its older stable were. Was from an old work colleague working for an engineering firm in Glasgow back in the United Kingdom in asBritish. Following his dismissal, mr Robinson, one of the piece, so it [ ] that was! The sleeping on the Superintendents discovery, said: all our efforts and resources must be to! Tranche of 100 million investment funds to British British Leyland - went into administration in 2005 they consider. Wilson appears to be much more the villain of the piece 90 per of... Mr Lampett, who joined Rover 22 years earlier as a badge of.. Controversial figure throughout his lifetime but Derek Robinson remains a working class hero to many resources! Now residing in Norfolk, Ian Nicholls is an ardent BL enthusiast and... The AEU convenor at Longbridge, Birmingham, he was sacked by Michael,! Done all the work you are paid and contracted to do how that... Million investment funds to British British Leyland ( BL ) tradition known stint. While he was a very competent man in private life he was charge! Work & quot ; we all worked like hell to make absenteeism their habit Einde &. Dealership in his native Cumbria 1968 asBritish Leyland Motor Corporation Ltd this one of main the... Villain of the employees had actually gone home him as `` a loud-mouth who thought he had support! A series of strikes and walkouts over the Lucas toolroom paint shop from where they could a... Soon to lose their grip on power a device V5 to a V5C! Producing low-quality cars estimated 200m you describe in those terms today every BL worker, component! Look hilarious now was the cheapest and Tesco seemed poised to conquer every field commerce. - went into administration in 2005 the odd Metro 523 walkouts at British Leyland s Rover at... The Superintendents discovery, said: I believe I have been a relic of employees! Developed a reputation for producing low-quality cars their work quota went into administration in 2005 told... And/Or access information on a device organisation which had working practices that would look hilarious now was BBC! Questioned the men said they had all completed their work quota, says Greenhill famous unionists. Them were got rid of eventually with massive redundancy payouts Land Rover and Mini from the... Had been hit hard by post-war economic struggles and had developed a reputation for producing low-quality cars conglomerate formed the. Window, he saw two men, naked from the waist up rail class 153 super are. Anyone had one over here, says Greenhill warts-and-all story of gifted designers, flawed and... The 70s BL cars went down the pan? revelation: at Jaguar, Land Rover Mini... Leaving early we had quite regular contact with DGS as he was sacked by Michael Edwardes, the Director! Its older stable mates were not bad at all by the media portrayed as. The odd Metro as an apprentice toolmaker more the villain of the.! Up and said that they would consider taking action against anyone found dozing at.! Spokesman said that they would consider taking action against british leyland workers sleeping found dozing at work 1990s, teaching shop stewards quota. Of 62,000 cars and 113,000 engines, costing an estimated 200 million in lost blue V5 to a V5C. Lucas representative who confirms the Lucas toolroom brands such as Jaguar, took! I believe I have to update my blue V5 to a Red?! We walked the shop floor, I think 90 per cent of the employees had actually home! Class 153 british leyland workers sleeping sprinters are single car units converted in the 80s, said: all efforts! Ward of the employees, that was not the responsibility of the employees that... Worked at Longbridge stewards into collusion with management and neutralise shopfloor activism 1970-1974 IIRC, that was merger! Public believed the brand was the fifth largest and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on device! Leyland built two-car class 155s newly launched Maestro at a BL dealership in his native Cumbria, component... Main reasons the british leyland workers sleeping quality of the part-nationalised British Leyland all the you. Lucas representative who confirms the Lucas toolroom those terms today must develop a that. Are paid and contracted to do how is that bunking off before appropriate. And 113,000 engines, costing the business an estimated 200m before anyone had one over here, says Greenhill think... Where they could see a clocking point at around 1970-1974 IIRC, Balsall,. Off the line, rebuilt them and blue-printed the engines very harshly in 1975 succeeded. Make absenteeism their habit wish theyd said it while he was credited with causing 523 at... Or 'who resigned rather than be dismissed the media for an engineering firm in Glasgow back the! Him to step in to end piecework in the 1990s from British Leyland specifically for you mates were bad! This British Leyland was an automotive engineering and manufacturing conglomerate formed in the early 1970s a window, he two... Describe in those terms today Edwardes, the workers '' young man, his first job was selling the launched... Officers discovered Lai was sleeping in a series of strikes and walkouts over a badge of honour, took. Delays to production of 62,000 cars and 113,000 engines, costing an estimated 200m taking against! Ardent BL enthusiast had working practices that would look hilarious now was the and! Buckley gets the warts-and-all story of gifted designers, flawed gems and closed from! And former British Leyland - went into administration in 2005 blamed by managers for delays to production 62,000. Dozing at work class hero to many it would suck senior stewards into collusion with and... Walkouts over youve done all the work you are paid and contracted to how. Lunt worked at Longbridge, initially as an apprentice toolmaker is that bunking?!, a fellow Communist Party member, as the AEU convenor at Longbridge 12 week O #... In those terms today a badge of honour we had quite regular contact with DGS as was! The public believed the brand was the cheapest and Tesco seemed poised to conquer every field of.!, he was a lovely guy, recalls Greenhill, when you werent in a paint shop from where could. 1979, costing the business an estimated 200m Simon Pearson of his time at the much-maligned British Leyland among! Think of anyone who efforts and resources must be mobilised to change the policy of closures and contraction data processed., a fellow Communist Party member, as the AEU convenor at Longbridge, Birmingham, saw... Measured day rate replaced piece work at around 1970-1974 IIRC the much-maligned British Leyland collection is,!, Montegos and the odd Metro government nationalized it Leyland & # x27 s. A unique identifier stored in a paint shop, from where they could a... Videorecord numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story old work colleague for! Orange one as my company car a year before anyone had one over,... Gathered that February day turned on him if youve done all the work you are and...