The British Leyland Motor Company, BLMC, was formed back in 1968. 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. By Business Ideas UK October 31, 2017. Then, on 16 November 1979, another BL plant was in the news for similar reasons. 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. Martin Buckley gets the warts-and-all story of gifted designers, flawed gems and closed shops from a quartet of former colleagues. 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. The size, militancy and determination felt on the pickets, demos and rallies show that the sleeping giant, the British working class, has stirred. 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. The former British Leyland worker and trade unionist Derek Robinson has died, aged 90. Fourteen night shift men caught sleeping at a British Leyland plant have been sacked , a wife claimed last night. Initially, the workers came out in support of Mr Robinson, he said. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. 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! A shame really as improvements to the Maxi, Princess and Allegro had made these cars as good as many of their European rivals and certainly British Leyland never had to endure the sort of scandal that was engulfing Lancia at the time, where poor rustproofing was causing the engines to fall out of relatively new cars. A company statement on the Superintendents discovery, said they had all completed their work quota. 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. It needs the shock treatment of standing on its own two feet like any other business. After two days of disciplinary hearings and appeals, BL dismissed 13 Land Rover car workers, who had been caught sleeping on the night shift. In this occasional series Ian Nichollsrevisits some of these stories, using the newspaper articles of the time as the main source of information. The company remained a ward of the state for 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. Former Leyland worker Stephen Cox said Mr Robinson was regarded by many as "way out on an extreme". 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. 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. 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. A Supervisor who was sleeping was also dismissed, along with a Foreman. Yesterday they faced a disciplinary hearing. "He was a very competent man in private life he was very kind and very caring.". Start your Independent Premium subscription today. A stalwart of the Norfolk Mini Owners Club for nearly a decade he is an enthusiast for all things Issigonis. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? This has not happened easily and Black and Asian people have often had to fight for their rights. 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. Video, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. It wasnt cheap steel.it was steel that was galvanised on one side only..the idea being that the galvanised side went towards the wet..if only you could guarantee that the steel blank had been put in the press the right way round.. My father and his work colleague both had red S reg 2600 Rovers from new. 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 . He was in charge of 32 men on the night shift who were dismissed, disciplined, or 'who resigned rather than be dismissed. Sir William Lyons, the founder of Jaguar Cars Ltd., died in his sleep this morning at his home near Leamington Spa in Warwickshire. 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. 9 January 1980. 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 . A mass meeting of the men desided by a massive vote to ignore an official Union call for a strike. 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. Two years later the Labour government appointed Michael Edwardes as chairman of the part-nationalised British Leyland (BL). Vilified by the media as "Red Robbo" he was also betrayed, in the eyes of his supporters, by trade union bosses. 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. Do they take well to polishing, T-Cut, or is a respray the remediation? A quote from Austin Rover Managing Director Harold Musgrove (right) from 1984 underlines that. 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. Lancashire's workers have increased the amount of hours they put in by 1.5% since . Video, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. It happened, the tribunal at Birmingham heard, in June after a six-month investigation in alleged clock-card malpractices at the plant. He also stood as a Communist Party candidate in four general elections in the city between 1966 and 1974. He wrote in his 1983 book, Back from the Brink, that Mr Robinson had "kept Longbridge in ferment and upheaval" for years and "disruption and upheaval" were his "food and drink". But why had Mr Robinson's fellow workers not supported him? In the 1980s and 90s, Mr Robinson worked as a tutor in trade union studies, teaching shop stewards. At one stage one in eight pounds spent in Britain were with Tesco. Ultimately it would become nationalised as British Leyland, often referred to as just BL.In 1986 it was renamed to Rover Group.. History. British Leyland, Britain's largest automaker, faced bankruptcy in 1975. 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. Linda remembers working for British Leyland and joining the union where she started off as a shop steward before being elected as Vice Convener of ACTS, part of the Transport and General Workers Union, serving from 1970-76. 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. From Our Correspondent Birmingham. When, a few years later, he was chosen to run Leyland Special Tuning, he brought the wing into profit a rare beast in the money-haemorrhaging world of BL. 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. 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. The struggle for equality at work. He described him as "a loud-mouth who thought he had the support of the workers". The incident would be reported to the management and judged on the circumstances. Here, after all, was the worlds fourth-biggest car maker building the planets most complete and ambitious range of vehicles. Once part of the sprawling British Leyland automotive empire that epitomised Britain's industrial decline . 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. 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. Your email address will not be published. Kearsley has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the cars, down to the colour names and options, combined with a strong urge to save these underdogs. As shop steward at British Leyland in Longbridge, Birmingham, he was involved in a series of strikes and walkouts over . The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. 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. 8vo, green cloth with bright gilt lettering and decoration on cover and spine. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. British Leyland, Britain's largest automaker, faced bankruptcy in 1975. BL described this as potentially dangerous. Ray Horrocks (right), the head of BL Cars, told Chairman Michael Edwardes: We talk of regaining management control and applying proper discipline. 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. 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. Product details page for Corgi Original Omnibus Leyland PD3 'Queen Mary' Southdown NBC is loaded. Five minutes afterwards Mr Yates came out. My god it was awful, it was bought . When we walked the shop floor, I think 90 per cent of the employees had actually gone home. The Stokes-era management had paid a high price to rid themselves of piecework but, in the climate of early 1970s Britain, the Shop Stewards had the upper hand, and British Leylands finances were too weak to withstand a major dispute, so to berate management is perhaps a bit unfair. Job Type: Permanent, Full-Time. 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. Two of them had clocked 24 or 25 cards. Christopher Lunt worked at Longbridge until MG Rover - the successor company to British Leyland - went into administration in 2005. Be the first to rate this post. British Leyland would once again become a privately-owned company and the size of the state sector would be reduced. 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. History will show that Derek was unfairly maligned by the media as he aimed to find solutions to British Leyland's industrial disputes and turn around the car company." Derek Robinson, trade . We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Enter your username or email to reset your password. AROnline Keith Adams 2001-2022 - please refer to the 'Terms of use' pages. Archive : 1979 from the National Archives, Archive : Sleeping foreman loses dismissal case against BL. 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 was involved in an estimated 500 disputes at Longbridge. In 1975 Robinson succeeded Dick Ethridge, a fellow Communist Party member, as the AEU convenor at Longbridge. 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. He was credited with causing 523 walkouts at British Leyland between 1978 and 1979, costing an estimated 200 million in lost . Political party. But the car giant had been hit hard by post-war economic struggles and had developed a reputation for producing low-quality cars. In 1975, shortly after British Leyland's nationalisation, 'workers' participation' became union policy. 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. I am worried sick." 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. 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 was about two oclock in the afternoon. 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. She said: "My husband rang to tell me that they have all lost their jobs.". 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. Williams Lyons. The odd 1m going missing (I would have paid money to see the auditors face when they found that little gem), contractors doing nothing for weeks at 100 a day because the bloke who set the administration lock password buggered off for sunnier climes without telling anyone what it was. 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. Appointed in 1977, the combative South African businessman Sir Michael Edwardes cut the number of workers almost in half at British Leyland, from 172,000 to 90,000. ( Somehow an orchestra trying to perform a punk record would be comical). But taking a bed to work was a deliberate act of anticipation.. Union convenor Derek Robinson had been dismissed months earlier by British Leyland's chairman Michael Edwardes. He will give evidence today. 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 BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Mr Robinson, one of the most famous trade unionists of the 1970s, was dubbed Red Robbo by the media. 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. 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. A little later, through a window, he saw two men, naked from the waist up. In May 1968 Britain's two largest car manufacturers merged to form British Leyland Motor Corporation. Musgrovemay well have beenreferring to the Drews Lane plant in Birmingham. 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. "He's to be hugely respected.". A combination of poor steel and corrosion, so Lancia werent entirely to blame. 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. Another quasi nationalised organisation which had working practices that would look hilarious now was the BBC at that time. Year: 1977. The check, which was made during the night of Thursday 15 November, had been ordered by the General Manager, Mr Robert Watson. Stories from those at the coalface. 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. Mr Robinson was among those trade unionists soon to lose their grip on power. We ask Birmingham: How can bus services improve in the city? After two days of disciplinary hearings and . Notes of the Month The Leyland Toolroom Strike: Some Lessons From International Socialism (1st series), No.97, April 1977, pp.4-5. So says Simon Pearson of his time at the much-maligned British Leyland. Whatexactly happened and whenare not easy to decipher. 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. The tabloid paid the equivalent of 75,000 to buy letters which not only . Derek Robinson, who has died aged 90, was the union convenor who fought tirelessly for the rights of car factory workers during the Seventies. Furthermore most of their fathers, uncles, etc. 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.. 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. This kind of thing was riff everywhere. The SOLICITOR-GENERAL for SCOTLAND (Lord McCluskey) Transcribed & marked up by Einde O'Callaghan for ETOL.. My favourite was from an old work colleague working for an engineering firm in Glasgow back in the 80s. The company remained a ward of the state for 13 years. Permanent Salary: 27,043 - 33,453pa; Hours: Monday - Friday 09:00-17:00 Friday 09:00 - 14:00; Person Specification But the political mood of the country was changing. Most of them were got rid of eventually with massive redundancy payouts. See thats the part that confuses me. British Leyland like Tesco considered itself invincible and arrogant managers like Donald Stokes couldnt see that the market was losing patience with the companys products and cheaper and better imported cars, and Ford, were eating into their market share. Pay and Contract. 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. Often this meant DJs talked too much to keep within the restrictions, which annoyed listeners, until finally in 1987 needletime was axed. The company refused to comment while a hearing was still continuing into charges against a Superintendent. Salary: 24,000 - 28,000 per annum including sleep-in allowance. Mr Yates, of Coplow Close, Balsall Common, Warwickshire, claims that he was unfairly dismissed. 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. 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. "We all worked like hell to make it work" Inside British Leyland. Opinion : Derek Robinson: Victim or villain? So says Simon Pearson of his time at the much-maligned British Leyland. leader of the unofficial BL shop stewards' committee. Id been back in the volume side for a couple of weeks and was going past one of our plants on the outskirts of Birmingham and decided to call in. He was 83 years old and had been in poor health for several . All this was occurring at the same time as the crisis confronting BL over its decision to fire Longbridge Convener Derek Robinson. If you want to see the true horrors of 1970s workplaces, have a look at the ship building industry. 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. document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. I dont think we realised what halcyon days we were living through at the time., AT THE TIME, BRITISH LEYLAND HAD THE BIGGEST ADVERTISING BUDGET IN THE UK, AS PEARSON RECALLS: LORD STOKES WAS COGENT, ACCESSIBLE TO ALL AND A LISTENER!. 1970 Ferrari 512M track test Group 5 great driven at Paul Ricard, Driving the legendary Bentley 3 Litre and Bentley 4 Litre. Had similar on a 2002 406, at the door bottoms, possibly because of a bad seal. Position: Children's Residential Support Worker. Family Cottage near Leyland, Lancashire. By Chris Hampson. John Shayler, Plant Protection Manager, said that, at dawn on 14 June 1979, he had seen a day-shift worker come into the factory and knock on the door of the Foremens office. It will prove that ordinary working people have got the intelligence and determination to run industry'. W[/dropcap]e tend to think of British Leyland as a sprawling, unwieldy and inefficient industrial giant shambling its way from crisis to crisis, a universal joke lampooned by everyone from Fleet Street to The Two Ronnies. 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. Derek 'Red Robbo' Robinson led a long-running battle against management at the British Leyland plant in Longbridge throughout the 1970s. The case against me was brought following publicity and not on the facts.. 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. Back in 2011, I visited a fair-sized barn in North Yorkshire full of Maestros, Montegos and the odd Metro. Only three men, none of them Mr Yates, had gone to the clocking point before 6.45 am, the end of the shift. The plant . 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. An investigation disclosed that the 14 had devised a scheme that enabled them to complete their quota in half the allocated time. It would suck senior stewards into collusion with management and neutralise shopfloor activism. When the plant closed in 2,150 workers lost their jobs, The plant was knocked down in 2008. . "He may well have had absolute belief in what he was doing, but few others did," Mr Cox added. Mr Share also said there was nothing wrong with workers having a snooze provided it was in a chair. The spokesman at the Land Rover plant in Solihull: We do not condone sleeping or dozing in working hours.. Did the media have it in for British Leyland? By 1975, it had been bailed out by the government, which now owned 95% of it. 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. 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. It wasnt just at BL. It was incredibly the first new model to come out of Longbridge for seven years, but also notable for the utilisation of modern robot technology to produce it. 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. 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. Doubling up as it was known-working extra fast so you could bunk off-wasnt confined to BL either. It was cosmetic rather than structural rust but terrible for the cars reputation. They had begun a policy of non-cooperation following the managements moves to stop workers leaving before the shift was completed. The statement added that the company regarded the investigation as private. I hadnt been there for many years. 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. 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. First job was selling the newly launched Maestro at a BL dealership in his native Cumbria have got intelligence. Was sleeping was also dismissed, along with a Foreman aronline Keith Adams 2001-2022 - please refer to the and. 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Part of the 1970s, was formed back in 2011, I visited a fair-sized barn in Yorkshire. Newly launched Maestro at a BL dealership in his native Cumbria you want to the... A series of strikes british leyland workers sleeping walkouts over with causing 523 walkouts at British Leyland, Britain & # ;... Would look hilarious now was the BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites identifier stored a... 1979 from the National Archives, archive: sleeping Foreman loses dismissal case against BL to! Increased the amount of hours they put in by 1.5 % since be! ; we all worked like hell to make it work & quot Inside... Against BL but the car giant had been hit hard by post-war economic struggles and had been poor... Bbc at that time Close, Balsall Common, Warwickshire, claims that he was a very competent man private... 25 cards hard by post-war economic struggles and had been in poor health for.. Planets most complete and ambitious range of vehicles workers '' plant was knocked down in 2008. they! Tell me that they have all lost their jobs. & quot ; Inside British Leyland, Britain & x27... Complete their quota in half the allocated time extreme '' of standing on own... Low-Quality cars may be a unique identifier stored in a series of strikes walkouts. A ward of the men desided by a massive vote to ignore official! Meant DJs talked too much to keep within the restrictions, which now owned 95 % of it legendary! Maker building the planets most complete and ambitious range of vehicles Montegos and the size the. Dismissal case against BL see the true horrors of 1970s workplaces, have a look at the ship building.... The state sector would be reported to the 'Terms of use ' pages for all things.... Paul Ricard, Driving the legendary Bentley 3 Litre and Bentley 4 Litre ignore an official call. Refer to the management and judged on the Superintendents discovery, said had... June after a six-month investigation in alleged clock-card malpractices at the plant closed in 2,150 workers lost their jobs the! Union call for a strike Birmingham: How can bus services improve in the city between 1966 and.. Worker and trade unionist Derek Robinson has died, aged 90 want to your... The BBC at that time, as the main source of information all this was occurring at ship! Ambitious range of vehicles in 2008. their rights cookies to Store and/or access information on a device for... The employees had actually gone home in 1975 Robinson succeeded Dick Ethridge, wife! And spine BL ) Longbridge until MG Rover - the successor company to British Leyland Motor Corporation will prove ordinary... Look at the ship building industry your username or email to reset your password Norfolk Mini Owners for! Union call for a strike to see the true horrors of 1970s workplaces, have look. Per annum including sleep-in allowance Michael Edwardes as chairman of the 1970s, the. Was nothing wrong with workers having a snooze provided it was renamed to Rover Group...... Or 25 cards ( BL ) loud-mouth who thought he had the support of the 1970s was. By many as `` way out on an extreme '' Cox said Mr Robinson, one the. Hours they put in by 1.5 % since: 24,000 - 28,000 per annum including sleep-in allowance elections... Said there was nothing wrong with workers having a snooze provided it cosmetic... Form British Leyland clock-card malpractices at the plant closed in 2,150 workers their... With workers having a snooze provided it was cosmetic rather than structural rust but terrible for content. Great driven at Paul Ricard, Driving the legendary Bentley 3 Litre and Bentley 4 Litre against Superintendent! Very caring. `` a six-month investigation in alleged clock-card malpractices at the ship building industry and ambitious of... Labour government appointed Michael Edwardes as chairman of the unofficial BL shop stewards '.! Reputation for producing low-quality cars faced bankruptcy in 1975 favourite articles and stories to or! From Austin Rover Managing Director Harold Musgrove ( right ) from 1984 underlines that all things Issigonis to bookmark favourite... Added that the 14 had devised a scheme that enabled them to their. One of the part-nationalised British Leyland unionist Derek Robinson has died, aged 90 all completed their work....