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? Continue with Recommended Cookies. That was nationalised for a time as British Shipbuilders and while not as strike prone, tended to spin out contracts at huge cost to their customers and had unions who jealously guarded their job demarcations. Mr Robinson was involved in an estimated 500 disputes at Longbridge. We will write a custom Article on Absenteeism at British Leyland specifically for you. A little later, through a window, he saw two men, naked from the waist up. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Most of my friends and acquaintances who didn't go on to further education went to work there. At one stage one in eight pounds spent in Britain were with Tesco. 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. Nicknamed Red Robbo in the press of the time, Robinson was involved in some 500 walkouts at the British Leyland plant in Longbridge, Birmingham, the result of frequent disagreements between the companys management and unions over working practices. Derek 'Red Robbo' Robinson led a long-running battle against management at the British Leyland plant in Longbridge throughout the 1970s. Read about our approach to external linking. Heal opens up on shock mid-season move. 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. She said: My husband rang to tell me that they have all lost their jobs.. Archive : 1979 from the National Archives, Archive : Sleeping foreman loses dismissal case against BL. 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. 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. Did the media have it in for British Leyland? An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. It happened, the tribunal at Birmingham heard, in June after a six-month investigation in alleged clock-card malpractices at the plant. 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. When the BBC decided to cut down on their numerous orchestras in 1980, there was a nine week strike that saw TOTP cancelled and The Proms badly effected, until a compromise was thrashed out that saw the very much underused Top of the Pops orchestra and singers redeployed.Also there was the ridiculous practice called needletime, which was also applied to commercial radio, where the MU dictated how many hours were dedicated to playing records and how much should consist of recordings of live music. Sell Your Car On Honest John Classics For Free. He was sacked by Michael Edwardes, the managing director of British Leyland, in November 1979. 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. He left school aged 14 to begin work at the Austin plant at Longbridge, initially as an apprentice toolmaker. 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. Classic car tax exemption: what you need to know. 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. It certainly became the great nationalised whipping boy of the 1970s, and by the end of the decade its image was on the floor. 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. By the end of October 1978 output of the ADO71 Princess range at the Austin Morris car assembly plant at Cowley was halted by a dispute at Drews Lane. In 1975 Robinson succeeded Dick Ethridge, a fellow Communist Party member, as the AEU convenor at Longbridge. The media had a story: so-called political extremists at British Leyland's Cowley plant. 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. 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. 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 . Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Film-maker Ken Loach, who made a documentary about Mr Robinson, said his story encapsulated a "critical moment" in the battle between Thatcherism and the power of the unions. "He's seen as a troublemaker, someone who resisted attempts to modernise," he said. 9 January 1980. An investigation disclosed that the 14 had devised a scheme that enabled them to complete their quota in half the allocated time. 2023 BBC. For Mr Stevenson, the dismissal of Red Robbo was "the first shot in the war that Thatcher began against working people and their families". Mr Robinson worked as an engineering apprentice during the Second World War, progressing on to become shop steward at a plant in Longbridge. They had found that double the recommended number of body panels could be hung on the paint conveyor. No mention was made of any disciplinary action against the workers. Judge for yourself. 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. By Business Ideas UK October 31, 2017. Here, after all, was the worlds fourth-biggest car maker building the planets most complete and ambitious range of vehicles. His crime was to put his name to a combine committee pamphlet setting out an approach that drew on the experience of the Upper Clyde Shipbuilders. The pamphlet said: All our efforts and resources must be mobilised to change the policy of closures and contraction. 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. 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. Management regarded him as an "insidious influence" and his days at the car firm had been numbered. Similar incidents had occurred before and appropriate action had been taken. Am I being targeted by an overpayment scam? 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. Absenteeism is simply defined as an individual's frequent pattern of evasion from an obligation or duty. 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. Read about our approach to external linking. AROnline Keith Adams 2001-2022 - please refer to the 'Terms of use' pages. British Leyland would once again become a privately-owned company and the size of the state sector would be reduced. The hours I spent with Simon, Richard, Alan and Tim confirm that belief. Then, on 16 November 1979, another BL plant was in the news for similar reasons. That had to be the responsibility of management.. He was in charge of 32 men on the night shift who were dismissed, disciplined, or 'who resigned rather than be dismissed. "But they are going to appeal against the decision. Back in 2011, I visited a fair-sized barn in North Yorkshire full of Maestros, Montegos and the odd Metro. As a metaphor, the burrowing unseen danger of infiltration by the Left Wing, was easily to hand to depict the activities that led to the dismissal of 13 British Leyland workers from British Leyland's Cowley plant in the summer of 1983. He was sitting opposite Mr Robinson when the union convenor was finally dismissed. In my opinion Stokes was let down by his board. Following his dismissal, Mr Robinson worked as a tutor in trade union studies during the 1980s and 1990s, teaching shop stewards. 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. Ray Horrocks (right), the head of BL Cars, told Chairman Michael Edwardes: We talk of regaining management control and applying proper discipline. British Leyland's chairman Michael Edwardes shared that view. 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. 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. Job Type: Permanent, Full-Time. By 1975, it had been bailed out by the government, which now owned 95% of it. The British Leyland Motor Corporation (BLMC), was a vehicle manufacturing company formed in the United Kingdom in 1968. I just wish theyd said it while he was alive., Harold Wilson appears to be much more the villain of the piece. The paint turned dull and flat quite quickly. The tribunal at Birmingham heard that the events took place in June 1979, not November as previously assumed, after a six-month investigation into alleged clock-card malpractices at the Solihull plant. Read about our approach to external linking. One night him and his mate who were on the maintenance nightshift went to sleep in the cupboards. Political party. British Leyland, Britain's largest automaker, faced bankruptcy in 1975. 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. "The Communist Party then dominated the factory's workforce, with many hundred Daily Workers [newspaper] being sold every day," he wrote in his blog. Born in Bedfordshire but now residing in Norfolk, Ian Nicholls is an ardent BL enthusiast. Unsold Austin Princess and Morris Marina cars at the British Leyland's Cowley, plant in Oxford, 12th February 1980. But by this time British Leylands crisis had become existential, extending beyond the ongoing battle with its unions. A stalwart of the Norfolk Mini Owners Club for nearly a decade he is an enthusiast for all things Issigonis. He will give evidence today. Communist Party of Great Britain, Communist Party of Britain [1] Derek Robinson (1927-2017) was a British trade unionist. The UCPI is a damage limitation exercise by the British state, established in 2015 after the exposure of widespread use of undercover police agents against political organisations. 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. 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. Undermining the shopfloor With two successive name changes, British Leyland became BL Limited in 1979. When the plant closed in 2,150 workers lost their jobs, The plant was knocked down in 2008. . 1983 Cowley Moles. Officers discovered Lai was sleeping in a squalid property . Im a former Austin Maestro owner, admirer and salesman, so it []. 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 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. But instead of supporting him, the workers who gathered that February day turned on him. Permanent Salary: 27,043 - 33,453pa; Hours: Monday - Friday 09:00-17:00 Friday 09:00 - 14:00; Person Specification 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? Two of them had clocked 24 or 25 cards. 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 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. The British Leyland Motor Company, BLMC, was formed back in 1968. As shop steward at British Leyland in Longbridge, Birmingham, he was involved in a series of strikes and walkouts over alleged mismanagement. 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. 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. This has not happened easily and Black and Asian people have often had to fight for their rights. Fearing that its collapse would leave a million workers unemployed, the Labour government nationalized it. Leyland Dozers Sacked. 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. At the time the industrial giant was believed to be the sixth largest car manufacturer in the world, with 11 marques - Austin, Austin-Healey, Daimler, Jaguar, MG, Morris, Riley, Rover, Triumph, Vanden Plas and Wolseley - and factories across the globe. Learn how your comment data is processed. He was 83 years old and had been in poor health for several . So says Simon Pearson of his time at the much-maligned British Leyland. He described him as "a loud-mouth who thought he had the support of the workers". Could he please have three large boxes of Cuban cigars instead?, Speke was, of course, the home of the TR7, launched in 1975 on the US market but not available in the UK until 1976. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. He described Red Robbo as "forthright and honest" but added that "all he did was fight for the protection of the working class". It was about two oclock in the afternoon. Mr Robinson . That was not the responsibility of the employees, that was not the responsibility of the workforce. The organisation specialises in providing best-in-class care and . Slight wear at extremities of boards. By the time a car got to five years old, there would be a huge hole in the floor and components started failing. 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, BL seals pact for Japanese to produce first car in Britain, Sleeping foreman loses dismissal case against BL, Mr Scargill pledges his support for BL convener, Car Reviews: Read the latest reports from our experts. Jobs, the managing director of British Leyland leave a million workers unemployed, the plant knocked. The cupboards and Tim confirm that belief Harold Wilson appears to be much more the of!, which now owned 95 % of it be hung on the maintenance nightshift went work! 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