Two of them had clocked 24 or 25 cards. 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. 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 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. So that was the sleeping on the night-shift affair. 2023 BBC. They had found that double the recommended number of body panels could be hung on the paint conveyor. 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. Only three men, none of them Mr Yates, had gone to the clocking point before 6.45 am, the end of the shift. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. When I asked, What happened? I was told Well, theyve finished their stint. In fact, some had finished by one oclock. Learn how your comment data is processed. Although Edwardes had a reputation as a union basher, Robinson supported the idea of working with him under a policy of participation, whereby unions and management would cooperate on matters of industrial relations. He described Red Robbo as "forthright and honest" but added that "all he did was fight for the protection of the working class". Classic car tax exemption: what you need to know. Judge for yourself. But why had Mr Robinson's fellow workers not supported him? In 1975, shortly after British Leyland's nationalisation, 'workers' participation' became union policy. Lancashire's workers have increased the amount of hours they put in by 1.5% since . Position: Children's Residential Support Worker. On unveiling day, the company boasted, 100,000 Britons packed into showrooms to see the car and placed orders worth . Williams Lyons. 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. So says Simon Pearson of his time at the much-maligned British Leyland. 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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. Absenteeism is simply defined as an individual's frequent pattern of evasion from an obligation or duty. A combination of poor steel and corrosion, so Lancia werent entirely to blame. Im a former Austin Maestro owner, admirer and salesman, so it [] []. 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. Christopher Lunt worked at Longbridge until MG Rover - the successor company to British Leyland - went into administration in 2005. It would suck senior stewards into collusion with management and neutralise shopfloor activism. He was credited with causing 523 walkouts at British Leyland between 1978 and 1979, costing an estimated 200 million in lost . (10 seconds outside of a garage in hot sun and the paint would fade and turn into something resembling 1000 grit sandpaper..?). 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.. Its just a shame that for a lot of the 70s they were rightly derided for their quality. 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. DeSantis won't say he's running. Whether or not unions in the UK took industrial action more than unions in Europe and North America is a moot point, much of the rubbish produced by the NoW, Daily Mail etc is treated as if it was historical fact nowdays where it should be regarded as propaganda. But by this time British Leylands crisis had become existential, extending beyond the ongoing battle with its unions. A spokesman said that they would Mr Arthur Scargill yesterday pledged the support of Yorkshire miners for the reinstatement of Mr Derek Robinson the shop stewards' By Edward Townsend BL's controversial 2m "Buy British" campaign, initially aimed at new car buyers, has now been directed at dealers. BL has delayed implementation of its plans for the MG factory at Abingdon in Oxfordshire because of a probable offer from the consortium. What's the best type of insurance for my 30+ year old Volvo? Musgrovemay well have beenreferring to the Drews Lane plant in Birmingham. But if the SD1 receives a vote of confidence, what about the great unmentionables the likes of the Allegro, Marina and Princess? Manage Settings In 1975 Robinson succeeded Dick Ethridge, a fellow Communist Party member, as the AEU convenor at Longbridge. Robinson was not reinstated. He was in charge of 32 men on the night shift who were dismissed, disciplined, or 'who resigned rather than be dismissed. The cars : Vauxhall Viva development story, Blog : Rover SD1 the Australian perspective, Yes we read all these stories from the News Of The World (the original fake news site) some were true,some were not. AROnline Keith Adams 2001-2022 - please refer to the 'Terms of use' pages. 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. Ian is unable to help with technical queries he pays other people to fix his cars! Do I have to update my blue V5 to a red V5C? Did the media have it in for British Leyland? This means employees can complete their daily stint, or work quota, and then go home at any time from 3.00pm onwards, but still be paid to the end of the shift. Five minutes afterwards Mr Yates came out. The biggest problem was scabs of rust breaking through the paint all over the car within a couple of years. Where can you get quick classic car insurance quotes? He was a lovely guy, recalls Greenhill, when you werent in a meeting with him. Was he a communist infiltrator? Where can you get cheap classic car insurance? Mr Lampett, who joined Rover 22 years earlier as a Tool Setter, said: I believe I have been treated very harshly. Then Aldi and Lidl arrived and the facade melted away. 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 British Leyland Motor Corporation (BLMC), was a vehicle manufacturing company formed in the United Kingdom in 1968. 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. Enter your username or email to reset your password. The plant . Thatcher provided British Leyland with 2.9 billion pounds ($4.4 billion) of taxpayer money from 1979 to 1988, Rhys said. Richard Lampett, aged 52, of Wichnor Road, Sheldon, Birmingham, was responsible for more than 300 workers, including the 13 men and two Foremen, who were dismissed 24 hours earlier. The men were found tucked up in sleeping bags when management swooped on the priming shop at the Range Rover plant in Solihull, near Birmingham. Once part of the sprawling British Leyland automotive empire that epitomised Britain's industrial decline . Derek Robinson, who has died aged 90, was the union convenor who fought tirelessly for the rights of car factory workers during the Seventies. 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. Shop stewards representing various tool room shops meet to discuss how they can support the British Leyland shop and propose a series of one day token strikes. 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? Transcribed & marked up by Einde O'Callaghan for ETOL.. 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. 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 at Drews Lane we still have an extraordinary situation. "He is quoted as saying: 'If we make Leyland successful, it will be a political victory. Video, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. The size, militancy and determination felt on the pickets, demos and rallies show that the sleeping giant, the British working class, has stirred. Mr Robinson . 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. 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. Union convenor Derek Robinson had been dismissed months earlier by British Leyland's chairman Michael Edwardes. Enter your username or email to reset your password. Mr Yates, of Coplow Close, Balsall Common, Warwickshire, claims that he was unfairly dismissed. Stories from those at the coalface. A stalwart of the Norfolk Mini Owners Club for nearly a decade he is an enthusiast for all things Issigonis. in the biggest management Sell Your Car On Honest John Classics For Free. 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 stickler for historical accuracy he has recently performed the marathon task of mining the online newspaper articles for all BMC>MG related stories. The pamphlet said: All our efforts and resources must be mobilised to change the policy of closures and contraction. British Leyland's chairman Michael Edwardes shared that view. No votes so far! Indeed it almost looks like Corsas, Combos and Vectras had a salmon pink colour option! See the car and placed orders worth my blue V5 to a V5C... 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