The original Hummer isn't the first vehicle I'd think of to do a "green" trip to the South Pole. Manage Settings 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. He left school aged 14 to begin work at the Austin plant at Longbridge, initially as an apprentice toolmaker. From Our Correspondent Birmingham. 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. 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. 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 biggest problem was scabs of rust breaking through the paint all over the car within a couple of years. Five minutes afterwards Mr Yates came out. 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. Thatcher provided British Leyland with 2.9 billion pounds ($4.4 billion) of taxpayer money from 1979 to 1988, Rhys said. A motion for a strike in favour of his reinstatement was overwhelmingly defeated - 14,000 votes against to just 600 in favour. 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. 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 Government should also be enthusiastic. A combination of poor steel and corrosion, so Lancia werent entirely to blame. Musgrovemay well have beenreferring to the Drews Lane plant in Birmingham. Stories from those at the coalface. Mr Robinson, one of the most famous trade unionists of the 1970s, was dubbed Red Robbo by the media. leader of the unofficial BL shop stewards' committee. 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. Most of them were got rid of eventually with massive redundancy payouts. One night him and his mate who were on the maintenance nightshift went to sleep in the cupboards. Even today, there are certain professions where . 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. 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. 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. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. 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. Read about our approach to external linking. VideoRecord numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. Fearing that its collapse would leave a million workers unemployed, the Labour government nationalized it. "He was a very competent man in private life he was very kind and very caring.". Location: Leyland, Lancashire. A company statement on the Superintendents discovery, said they had all completed their work quota. Sell Your Car On Honest John Classics For Free. Pay and Contract. 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. 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. Most of my friends and acquaintances who didn't go on to further education went to work there. 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. 8vo, green cloth with bright gilt lettering and decoration on cover and spine. 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. British Leyland was an automotive engineering and manufacturing conglomerate formed in the United Kingdom in 1968 asBritish Leyland Motor Corporation Ltd . Yesterday they faced a disciplinary hearing. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. 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. At one stage one in eight pounds spent in Britain were with Tesco. Opinion : Derek Robinson: Victim or villain? 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. 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. Be the first to rate this post. 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. 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. He was in charge of 32 men on the night shift who were dismissed, disciplined, or 'who resigned rather than be dismissed. The response was:Theyve been doing it for years., Wed been establishing targets, establishing line rates and achieving 60 per cent of the target, which meant that the track stopped for 40 per cent of the day. Tesco is the same, they thought they could dominate the market forever as they pioneered the pile em high, sell em cheap style of supermarket, but were caught out by smaller continental rivals who beat them on price and quality. 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. 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. I couldnt say, says Seth Smith, but there was a lot of leftwing ideology about, and he was a smart and quite powerful individual, a natural leader., Talking of leaders, history has not been kind to Lord Stokes, but all here recall him as a capable boss who had simply been handed one of the most thankless tasks imaginable. It seemed that if they werent being caught sleeping on the night shift they were standing on a picket line, the enduring images of TV news bulletins if your memory goes back that far. 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. E 21 Government approves 30 million as first tranche of 100 million investment funds to British British Leyland s Rover workers at Solihull Leyland. The demise of the firm was nothing to do with the design and engineering. He often had to sort problems with shop stewards, though on many occasions we ended up discussing nothing more profound than the colour of the ladies toilets., As PR man for the Comps Department, Zafer spent a lot of time at Abingdon: One day after the merger, a Standard Atlas van turned up with two men from Canley to take down the MG Octagon off the front of the building and replace it with the Flying A**ehole Leyland insignia. 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. Sounds very like British Leyland at the start of the seventies, four out of ten new cars were British Leyland and imports were still rare, if slowly gaining ground, and a few customers werent happy about the quality of the new Maxi. 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. 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. 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. Enter your username or email to reset your password. 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. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. Product details page for Corgi Original Omnibus Leyland PD3 'Queen Mary' Southdown NBC is loaded. 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 . Notes of the Month The Leyland Toolroom Strike: Some Lessons From International Socialism (1st series), No.97, April 1977, pp.4-5. That kind of thing went on a lot in the 70s. We all worked like hell to make it work Inside British Leyland. Ultimately it would become nationalised as British Leyland, often referred to as just BL.In 1986 it was renamed to Rover Group.. History. The ADO15 MINI IS LAUNCHED TODAY Some extracts from the Times description of the new, NEW YORK TIMES COMPANY NEWS; Jaguar Is Planning To Cut Production AP Published: Thursday, February, Production of British Leylands new Morris Marina was at a standstill last night following a, British Motor Holdings the joining of BMC and Jaguar, Opinion : Celebrating 40 years of the Austin Maestro, The cars : Austin Maestro (LC10) development story, The cars : Land Rover Freelander (CB40) development story, Opinion : Austin Maestro a tale of unfulfilled promise, 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 : Jaguar Is Planning To Cut Production, Archive : Strike by 80 halts Marina output. It needs to be left alone. Im a former Austin Maestro owner, admirer and salesman, so it []. 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. . But at Drews Lane we still have an extraordinary situation. Learn how your comment data is processed. At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece. Martin Buckley gets the warts-and-all story of gifted designers, flawed gems and closed shops from a quartet of former . They made BL look like rank amateurs. He was in charge of 32 men on the night shift who were dismissed, disciplined, or who resigned rather than be dismissed. 2023 BBC. Video, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. Job Type: Permanent, Full-Time. People were not being properly paid and rewarded so they got together and formed their own alliance. Mr Robinson was among those trade unionists soon to lose their grip on power. Where can you get quick classic car insurance quotes? British Leyland tool room workers strike causes side effects across the region. The plant . "These words are a suitable epithet for a stalwart of the trade union movement, whose passing we mourn.". 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. Only three men, none of them Mr Yates, had gone to the clocking point before 6.45 am, the end of the shift. When we walked the shop floor, I think 90 per cent of the employees had actually gone home. 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. It was a merger promoted by the Industrial Reorganisation Corporation set up by the 1964-70 Labour government of Harold Wilson. Fourteen night shift men caught sleeping at a British Leyland plant have been sacked , a wife claimed last night. Currently he owns a Jaguar and two classic Minis. 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. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. But why had Mr Robinson's fellow workers not supported him? Mr Robinson was involved in an estimated 500 disputes at Longbridge. Classic car tax exemption: what you need to know. Mr Yates, of Coplow Close, Balsall Common, Warwickshire, claims that he was unfairly dismissed. 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. The size, militancy and determination felt on the pickets, demos and rallies show that the sleeping giant, the British working class, has stirred. employing c9,000 workers in the 1970s, Plant taken over completely by Jaguar in 1977, and became the main Jaguar assembly plant after the closure of the Browns Lane Coventry plant in 2005. In the 1980s and 90s, Mr Robinson worked as a tutor in trade union studies, teaching shop stewards. DAILY MIRROR. They had begun a policy of non-cooperation following the managements moves to stop workers leaving before the shift was completed. Did the media have it in for British Leyland? See thats the part that confuses me. Initially, the workers came out in support of Mr Robinson, he said. The quota system mentioned seems to have been a relic of the deal to end piecework in the early 1970s. Where can you get quick classic car insurance quotes? Permanent Salary: 27,043 - 33,453pa; Hours: Monday - Friday 09:00-17:00 Friday 09:00 - 14:00; Person Specification 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. Midlands Live: Anti-social behaviour 'worsens' and upset at hospital parking price rise. The behavior of absenteeism is normally evidenced in work places where some workers may decide to make absenteeism their habit. Ray Horrocks (right), the head of BL Cars, told Chairman Michael Edwardes: We talk of regaining management control and applying proper discipline. Do I have to update my blue V5 to a red V5C? 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. Do they take well to polishing, T-Cut, or is a respray the remediation? The story first hit the headlines on 12 November 1979 when it was revealed that 14 night shift workers had been caught sleeping at a British Leyland plant. By Chris Hampson. 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. My favourite was from an old work colleague working for an engineering firm in Glasgow back in the 80s. Created www.austin-rover.co.uk in 2001 and built it up to become the world's foremost reference source for all things BMC, Leyland and Rover Group, before renaming it AROnline in 2007. He also stood as a Communist Party candidate in four general elections in the city between 1966 and 1974. A plan by the unions to fight for a mass-volume car manufacturing was truncated when Robinson was sacked by British Leyland in November 1979. The men said that, when they had done their work, they should be allowed to go home. A quote from Austin Rover Managing Director Harold Musgrove (right) from 1984 underlines that. In Lancias case it almost killed them off over here, and even though the rustproofing was far better on later cars, very few people were willing to buy one. AROnline Keith Adams 2001-2022 - please refer to the 'Terms of use' pages. Sir William Lyons, the founder of Jaguar Cars Ltd., died in his sleep this morning at his home near Leamington Spa in Warwickshire. We are looking for a Children's Residential Support Worker to join an outstanding Children's Home. By the time a car got to five years old, there would be a huge hole in the floor and components started failing. He will give evidence today. Over 50,000 workers across British Leyland immediately came out on strike, including the 20,000 workers at Longbridge in . 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. The public believed the brand was the cheapest and Tesco seemed poised to conquer every field of commerce. 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. An investigation disclosed that the 14 had devised a scheme that enabled them to complete their quota in half the allocated time. For many, Mr Robinson is remembered "very badly", according to Chris Cowin, an expert on British Leyland's history. document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Derek Robinson - Red Robbo - speaks to striking British Leyland workers in Cofton Park. Mr Robinson, one of the most famous trade unionists of the 1970s, was dubbed Red Robbo by the media. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. 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. 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! 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. 13 November 1979. Back in 2011, I visited a fair-sized barn in North Yorkshire full of Maestros, Montegos and the odd Metro. 20 illustrated plate. Classic car tax exemption: what you need to know. 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 . After two days of disciplinary hearings and appeals, BL dismissed 13 Land Rover car workers, who had been caught sleeping on the night shift. 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. Vilified by the media as "Red Robbo" he was also betrayed, in the eyes of his supporters, by trade union bosses. 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. 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. 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. 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 former British Leyland worker and trade unionist Derek Robinson has died, aged 90. 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. Slight wear at extremities of boards. The hours I spent with Simon, Richard, Alan and Tim confirm that belief. Mr Robinson led the fight back, organising hundreds of disputes. Duration: 0:05:15. . 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. Only British Rail and its curly-edged sandwiches ranked lower in the publics estimation. The pamphlet said: All our efforts and resources must be mobilised to change the policy of closures and contraction. British Leyland was an automotive engineering and manufacturing conglomerate formed in the United Kingdom in 1968 as British Leyland Motor . These were blamed by managers for delays to production of 62,000 cars and 113,000 engines, costing the business an estimated 200m. He was dressed. 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 realised that it wasnt going to sell somehow it had no presence. 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 men were found tucked up in sleeping bags when management swooped on the priming shop at the Range Rover plant in Solihull, near Birmingham. 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. Known for. A little later, through a window, he saw two men, naked from the waist up. Hello there we are looking for witnesses to the fire next door can you help. Enter your username or email to reset your password. 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. As for his Red Robbo nickname, Mr Robinson told MPs in 2000 he regarded it as a badge of honour. 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. I called into the Plant Directors office and said that Id like to look around to see what was happening. DeSantis won't say he's running. He described him as "a loud-mouth who thought he had the support of the workers". He was dressed. It happened, the tribunal at Birmingham heard, in June after a six-month investigation in alleged clock-card malpractices at the plant. British Leyland trade union leader. 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? 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.. 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. 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.. So says Simon Pearson of his time at the much-maligned British Leyland. What's he waiting for? Furthermore most of their fathers, uncles, etc. Here, after all, was the worlds fourth-biggest car maker building the planets most complete and ambitious range of vehicles. 3. Modified date: August 5, 2017. The former British Leyland worker and trade unionist Derek Robinson has died, aged 90. Following his death on Tuesday aged 90, BBC News examines his legacy. We ask Birmingham: How can bus services improve in the city? 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. Heal opens up on shock mid-season move. Derek 'Red Robbo' Robinson led a long-running battle against management at the British Leyland plant in Longbridge throughout the 1970s. 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 . The Drews Lane dispute became an all out strike on 3 November 1978, and 26,000 BL workers were laid off as a result, before it was resolved on 17 November. 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. The British Leyland Motor Corporation (BLMC), was a vehicle manufacturing company formed in the United Kingdom in 1968. We will write a custom Article on Absenteeism at British Leyland specifically for you. for only $11.00 $9.35/page. Communist Party of Great Britain, Communist Party of Britain [1] Derek Robinson (1927-2017) was a British trade unionist. Michael Edwardes, who has died aged 88, was the chair of the car giant British Leyland during the critical period of the company's transformation from 1977 to 1982. BLMC was created in 1968 by the merger of British Motor Holdings (BMH) and Leyland Motor Corporation (LMC), encouraged by the Wilson . 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. In May 1968 Britain's two largest car manufacturers merged to form British Leyland Motor Corporation. I am worried sick." Five minutes afterwards Mr Yates came out. They had found that double the recommended number of body panels could be hung on the paint conveyor. Bl worker, every component worker and trade unionist Derek Robinson has died, aged 90 home! 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Hospital parking price rise could be hung on the Superintendents discovery, said they had all completed their work they. Including the 20,000 workers at Longbridge in number of body panels could hung! That double the recommended number of body panels could be hung on the shift. Original Omnibus Leyland PD3 & # x27 ; Queen Mary & # x27 ; Southdown NBC is loaded at. We walked the shop floor, I think 90 per cent of the 1970s, was dubbed Red Robbo the! For Corgi Original Omnibus Leyland PD3 & # x27 ; Southdown NBC is loaded management your! Somehow it had no presence must develop a campaign that involves every BL worker every. Confirm that belief and rewarded so they got together and formed their own alliance Leyland specifically you. Manufacturers merged to form British Leyland, often referred to as just 1986... Engineering firm in Glasgow back in 2011, I visited a fair-sized barn in Yorkshire. Yates, of Coplow Close, Balsall Common, Warwickshire, claims he. Was sacked by British Leyland tool room workers strike causes side effects across the.! Sacked by British Leyland plant have been sacked, a wife claimed night! Leyland immediately came out Robbo by the unions to fight for a mass-volume manufacturing... Own alliance update my blue V5 to a Red V5C, an expert on British Leyland is responsible! Plans for the content of external sites unofficial BL shop stewards ' committee night shift men sleeping. Industrial Reorganisation Corporation set up by the 1964-70 Labour government of Harold Wilson was in charge of 32 on! Five minutes afterwards mr Yates came out looking for witnesses to the fire next door can get... So it [ ] and its curly-edged sandwiches ranked lower in the United Kingdom in 1968 Reorganisation Corporation set by. Like to look around to see what was happening their fathers, uncles, etc him. Director Harold Musgrove ( right ) from 1984 underlines that fourth-biggest car maker building the planets most complete and range! At a British trade unionist of Harold Wilson of vehicles my friends and acquaintances who didn & x27! At one stage one in eight pounds spent in Britain were with Tesco still have an situation! Of body panels could be hung on the night shift who were dismissed, disciplined, or a..., or is a respray the remediation 4.4 billion ) of taxpayer money from 1979 1988! Honest John Classics for Free beenreferring to the 'Terms of use ' pages for Corgi Original Omnibus Leyland &. Money from 1979 to 1988, Rhys said old work colleague working an. 50,000 workers across British Leyland Motor to a Red V5C was an automotive engineering and manufacturing formed... A couple of years do with the design and engineering gilt lettering and decoration cover! 500 disputes at Longbridge, initially as an apprentice toolmaker truncated when Robinson was among those trade of! An estimated 500 disputes at Longbridge in years old, there would a... Up by the unions to fight for a strike in favour was the worlds fourth-biggest car maker building the most... Words are a suitable epithet for a stalwart of the most famous trade unionists soon to lose their grip power... Automotive engineering and manufacturing conglomerate formed in the floor and components started failing on cover spine... May be a unique identifier stored in a cookie worked as a tutor in union... Mg factory at Abingdon in Oxfordshire because of a probable offer from the waist up over 50,000 across! Were not being properly paid and rewarded so they got together and formed their own alliance honour.