With 'Red Robbo' now out of the picture the Austin Metro was launched in October 1980. 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. No votes so far! 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 . Sell Your Car On Honest John Classics For Free. 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. I had a bright orange one as my company car a year before anyone had one over here, says Greenhill. Beginning on 8 January 1980, the Foreman fired in November, now named as Mr Robert Yates, of Coplow Close, Balsall Common, Warwickshire, began an unfair dismissal claim against Land Rover. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. 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 . 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. 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. Duration: 0:05:15. . 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. 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! As shop . Following the election of Margaret Thatcher in May 1979, the government and BL sought to implement a recovery plan to save the ailing company. Functioned as body plant for Mini and Jaguar models, employing c9,000 workers in the 1970s, Plant taken over completely by Jaguar in 1977, and became the main . The statement added that the company regarded the investigation as private. It wasnt just at BL. The public believed the brand was the cheapest and Tesco seemed poised to conquer every field of commerce. Between 1977 and 1978, about 18,000 jobs were cut by the firm, leaving it still employing 20,000 people in Longbridge and a further 30,000 at plants elsewhere. 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. The men at Drews Lane had worked to rule for several weeks in protest at management attempts to stop them leaving early. A little later, through a window, he saw two men, naked from the waist up. First edition. Quite funny you mentioned the NHS as Harold Musgrove moved onto their after BL and as per the stories of the day left after cocking that up to. Where can you get quick classic car insurance quotes? The check, which was made during the night of Thursday 15 November, had been ordered by the General Manager, Mr Robert Watson. Union convenor Derek Robinson had been dismissed months earlier by British Leyland's chairman Michael Edwardes. The spokesman at the Land Rover plant in Solihull: We do not condone sleeping or dozing in working hours.. . Classic car tax exemption: what you need to know. Product details page for Corgi Original Omnibus Leyland PD3 'Queen Mary' Southdown NBC is loaded. 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. Rugeley man apprehended with crack and heroin in Staffordshire town, Human error to blame for deadly train crash, says Greek PM, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece. The 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. 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. My god it was awful, it was bought . 2023 BBC. The British Leyland Motor Company, BLMC, was formed back in 1968. Derek Robinson - nicknamed "Red Robbo" by tabloid newspapers - was one of the biggest names in the trade union movement during the 1970s. In 1975, shortly after British Leyland's nationalisation, 'workers' participation' became union policy. ( Somehow an orchestra trying to perform a punk record would be comical). Exterior view of British Leyland Strandard Triumph works entrance and gatehouse at Canley, Coventry . Im a former Austin Maestro owner, admirer and salesman, so it [] []. "He's seen as a troublemaker, someone who resisted attempts to modernise," he said. The plant . We had a LDV van at work for about 7 years. The former British Leyland worker and trade unionist Derek Robinson has died, aged 90. Only three men, none of them Mr Yates, had gone to the clocking point before 6.45 am, the end of the shift. 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.. The struggle for equality at work. It needs to be left alone. To be tasked with promoting these products was one of motorings more challenging and exciting jobs, and it attracted a group of talented, ambitious, energetic and creative young people, just four of whom I have the pleasure of meeting in a West End pub. 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. Doubling up as it was known-working extra fast so you could bunk off-wasnt confined to BL either. 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. 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. 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. I am worried sick." 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. Initially, the workers came out in support of Mr Robinson, he said. "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. Security officers kept watch from behind an extractor fan in a paint shop from where they could see a clocking point. 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. 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. 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. Perhaps more importantly, the rational economy, which includes companies like ICJ, Racal and . British Leyland's chairman Michael Edwardes shared that view. Ray Horrocks (right), the head of BL Cars, told Chairman Michael Edwardes: We talk of regaining management control and applying proper discipline. The SOLICITOR-GENERAL for SCOTLAND (Lord McCluskey) Tributes have been paid to former British Leyland worker and trade unionist Derek Robinson, who has died, aged 90. Location: Leyland, Lancashire. Ideal business/holiday rental Perfect for families, friends and work colleagues (a pet friendly home) The cottage is an attractive Grade ll listed property recently totally refurbished to a high standard maintaining its character and charm, an unusual build with Venetian type windows and a . 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. 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 foremen's office. Pay and Contract. It will prove that ordinary working people have got the intelligence and determination to run industry'. As shop steward at British Leyland in Longbridge, Birmingham, he was involved in a series of strikes and walkouts over alleged mismanagement. 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. BL refused to comment, other than to confirm that an unnamed Superintendent had been dismissed and an immediate appeal hearing had upheld that decision. Mr Robinson . 1970 Ferrari 512M track test Group 5 great driven at Paul Ricard, Driving the legendary Bentley 3 Litre and Bentley 4 Litre. It was a fantastic shape but, when I parked it, nobody looked at it. unfairly dismissed for sleeping on a night shift and DAILY MIRROR Night-shift workers were given a wake-up warning by British Leyland bosses yesterday . Mr Richard Smith, Chairman of the Industrial Tribunal, said he had told, one cock and bull story after another, to explain away events taking place at dawn on 14 June 1979 at the Rover works, Solihull. 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. 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. A stalwart of the Norfolk Mini Owners Club for nearly a decade he is an enthusiast for all things Issigonis. Video, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. It employed 200,000 people and was the fifth largest . Enter your username or email to reset your password. DeSantis won't say he's running. The ultimate result we see today zero hours contracts, the use of self employment status to avoid paying NI and there general degradation of workers since 1979. Mr Robinson, one of the most famous trade unionists of the 1970s, was dubbed Red Robbo by the media. A Supervisor who was sleeping was also dismissed, along with a Foreman. The company refused to comment while a hearing was still continuing into charges against a Superintendent. It needs the shock treatment of standing on its own two feet like any other business. Security officers kept watch from behind an extractor fan in a paint shop, from where they could see a clocking point. 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. Derek Robinson - nicknamed "Red Robbo" by tabloid newspapers - was one of the biggest names in the trade union movement . The quota system mentioned seems to have been a relic of the deal to end piecework in the early 1970s. All this was occurring at the same time as the crisis confronting BL over its decision to fire Longbridge Convener Derek Robinson. Statement from a Lucas representative who confirms the Lucas toolroom . Be the first to rate this post. Kearsley has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the cars, down to the colour names and options, combined with a strong urge to save these underdogs. The idea was that they should be able to make triple time: do each job in a third of the time allowed which meant that by half past two everyone would pack up and bugger off home!, And you cant discuss BL without including Red Robbo Derek Robinson, the shop steward. "He's to be hugely respected.". 20 illustrated plate. Communist Party of Great Britain, Communist Party of Britain [1] Derek Robinson (1927-2017) was a British trade unionist. British Leyland's Truck and Tractor Plant, Bathgate, 1980. 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. British Leyland was an automotive engineering and manufacturing conglomerate formed in the United Kingdom in 1968 as British Leyland Motor . 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. By Business Ideas UK October 31, 2017. The case against me was brought following publicity and not on the facts.. . It certainly became the great nationalised whipping boy of the 1970s, and by the end of the decade its image was on the floor. On unveiling day, the company boasted, 100,000 Britons packed into showrooms to see the car and placed orders worth . Seven years ago Tony Cliff wrote, 'The aim of the . 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. They discovered all the 14 men employed there, including a supervisor, asleep or dozing in sleeping bags, blankets and makeshift bunks. Fearing that its collapse would leave a million workers unemployed, the Labour government nationalized it. "But they are going to appeal against the decision. Good condition, owner's inscription on flyleaf. 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. A combination of poor steel and corrosion, so Lancia werent entirely to blame. 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. Absenteeism is simply defined as an individual's frequent pattern of evasion from an obligation or duty. 1990s Vauxhalls seemed to have red paint that faded quickly, so most surviving ones look more pink than red these days. Vilified by the media as "Red Robbo" he was also betrayed, in the eyes of his supporters, by trade union bosses. Fourteen night shift men caught sleeping at a British Leyland plant have been sacked , a wife claimed last night. Security officers kept watch from behind an extractor fan in a paint shop from where they could see a clocking point. So says Simon Pearson of his time at the much-maligned British Leyland. Mr Robinson was involved in an estimated 500 disputes at Longbridge. A certain British steel plant would have early workers finish their work quota, do part of the late shift quota, then the late shift came in, finished off their quota and did the night shift quota too. A little later, through a window, he saw two men, naked from the waist up. VideoRecord numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. Preston Leyland Hotel, BW Signature Collection: Visit for a family celebration - Read 1,173 reviews, view 382 traveller photos, and find great deals for Preston Leyland Hotel, BW Signature Collection at Tripadvisor. BL still conjures images of half-finished Marinas and Allegros on desolate production lines and a militant workforce that appeared to be looking for any reason to down tools. 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. If workers were rushing to finish off their quota so they could go home early and doing half a job, would it not have made more sense to slow down the line to get the job properly? Most of them were got rid of eventually with massive redundancy payouts. At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece. Your email address will not be published. The organisation specialises in providing best-in-class care and . Archive : 1979 from the National Archives, Archive : Sleeping foreman loses dismissal case against BL. 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 can sleep sound at night because I never betrayed the workers I was elected to represent," he said. Derek 'Red Robbo' Robinson led a long-running battle against management at the British Leyland plant in Longbridge throughout the 1970s. A stickler for historical accuracy he has recently performed the marathon task of mining the online newspaper articles for all BMC>MG related stories. That was not the responsibility of the employees, that was not the responsibility of the workforce. VideoRecord numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. Seth Smith joined Leyland Motor Corporation as Triumph press officer in 1967, and in 1968 helped with the famous announcement of the Leyland and BMH merger. Stories from those at the coalface. British Leyland would once again become a privately-owned company and the size of the state sector would be reduced. He will give evidence today. This support saved brands such as Jaguar, Land Rover and Mini from . I hadnt been there for many years. Heal opens up on shock mid-season move. DAILY MIRROR. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. for only $11.00 $9.35/page. 9 January 1980. Job Type: Permanent, Full-Time. Position: Children's Residential Support Worker. Mr Lampett, who joined Rover 22 years earlier as a Tool Setter, said: I believe I have been treated very harshly. These were dark times indeed.Harold Musgrove. If you want to see the true horrors of 1970s workplaces, have a look at the ship building industry. It was about two oclock in the afternoon. Its just a shame that for a lot of the 70s they were rightly derided for their quality. In May 1968 Britain's two largest car manufacturers merged to form British Leyland Motor Corporation. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. 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. He will give evidence today. 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. 3. I am worried sick." The Allegro that went through three gearboxes was BLs fault, since theyd put the wrong one on originally and the drones just replaced the wrong box with another wrong box by the part number.. And reduced my dads colleague to tears.. Answer (1 of 28): I grew up very close to the town of Leyland and Leyland Motors (as it was then called) was by far the biggest employer in the area. Preventing home working in Pandemic days by nuisance noise is dire dilydaydreamnewneighbours, Opinion : Austin Maestro a tale of unfulfilled promise, Opinion : Celebrating 40 years of the Austin Maestro, 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 : Car plant strikers go back for talks. The former British Leyland worker and trade unionist Derek Robinson has died, aged 90. He told MPs in 2000 he regarded his Red Robbo nickname as a badge of honour. Former Leyland worker Stephen Cox said Mr Robinson was regarded by many as "way out on an extreme". Not just the NHS government in general! Photography James Page/LAT. 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. 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. Where can you get quick classic car insurance quotes? Sir William Lyons, the founder of Jaguar Cars Ltd., died in his sleep this morning at his home near Leamington Spa in Warwickshire. The following day Robert Yates lost his appeal for unfair dismissal. 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. The company assumed its current name in 1982. See thats the part that confuses me. Dark days, but I never realised British Leylands market share fell as low as 13 per cent in June 1980 due to an industrial dispute, although I did hear dealers pre the Metro were offering hefty discounts on new cars just to get them off the forecourt as they werent selling. Ultimately it would become nationalised as British Leyland, often referred to as just BL.In 1986 it was renamed to Rover Group.. History. Back in 2011, I visited a fair-sized barn in North Yorkshire full of Maestros, Montegos and the odd Metro. Is the 1990 Ford Escort Bonus a classic car? All Tescos success masked the reality that it was a bloated organisation staffed by inept bunglers.The brand value of Tesco was all conquering.The world is full of management knobs with university degrees in unrelated subjects, who make unrealistic demands of their underlings and tell their own bosses what they want to hear. Continue with Recommended Cookies. Two of them had clocked 24 or 25 cards. Musgrovemay well have beenreferring to the Drews Lane plant in Birmingham. If youve done all the work you are paid and contracted to do how is that bunking off? One night him and his mate who were on the maintenance nightshift went to sleep in the cupboards. 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. He added that communists active in Unite "mourned the loss of their most distinguished veteran, a mentor and guide to us all". 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? When questioned the men said they had completed their work quota. He described Red Robbo as "forthright and honest" but added that "all he did was fight for the protection of the working class". I can't think of anyone who . 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. The Daily Mail claimed that the car firm British Leyland was paying bribes, and was exposed for printing a ludicrous hoax. We will write a custom Article on Absenteeism at British Leyland specifically for you. Mr Robinson, one of the most famous trade unionists of the 1970s, was dubbed Red Robbo by the media. British Leyland, Britain's largest automaker, faced bankruptcy in 1975. [ 1 ] Derek Robinson part of their legitimate business interest without for. Workers unemployed, the workers came out in british leyland workers sleeping of mr Robinson regarded! 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