British Leyland, Britain's largest automaker, faced bankruptcy in 1975. DeSantis won't say he's running. 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. He was a lovely guy, recalls Greenhill, when you werent in a meeting with him. Was he a communist infiltrator? He left school aged 14 to begin work at the Austin plant at Longbridge, initially as an apprentice toolmaker. 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. The worker participation scheme at British Leyland was known as the Ryder Plan. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. A certain British steel plant would have early workers finish their work quota, do part of the late shift quota, then the late shift came in, finished off their quota and did the night shift quota too. British Leyland would once again become a privately-owned company and the size of the state sector would be reduced. What's he waiting for? 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. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Seven years ago Tony Cliff wrote, 'The aim of the . Archive : 1979 from the National Archives, Archive : Sleeping foreman loses dismissal case against BL. British Leyland trade union leader. With 'Red Robbo' now out of the picture the Austin Metro was launched in October 1980. There was another rumour I heard that BL storemen at the time stacked boxes in the stores in such a way as to make a private room, into which they moved a table & chairs so that they could play cards.. Learn how your comment data is processed. In the 1980s and 90s, Mr Robinson worked as a tutor in trade union studies, teaching shop stewards. He was 83 years old and had been in poor health for several . 20 illustrated plate. Thatcher provided British Leyland with 2.9 billion pounds ($4.4 billion) of taxpayer money from 1979 to 1988, Rhys said. 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. Derek Robinson - nicknamed "Red Robbo" by tabloid newspapers - was one of the biggest names in the trade union movement during the 1970s. 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. Family Cottage near Leyland, Lancashire. Sir William Lyons, the founder of Jaguar Cars Ltd., died in his sleep this morning at his home near Leamington Spa in Warwickshire. Leyland Dozers Sacked. 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. 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. "He may well have had absolute belief in what he was doing, but few others did," Mr Cox added. When we walked the shop floor, I think 90 per cent of the employees had actually gone home. 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. 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. 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. I hadnt been there for many years. 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". Photography James Page/LAT. As shop steward at British Leyland in Longbridge, Birmingham, he was involved in a series of strikes and walkouts over . Mr Robinson was involved in an estimated 500 disputes at Longbridge. Im a former Austin Maestro owner, admirer and salesman, so it [] []. The British Leyland Motor Corporation (BLMC), was a vehicle manufacturing company formed in the United Kingdom in 1968. Midlands Live: Anti-social behaviour 'worsens' and upset at hospital parking price rise. 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. British Leyland's chairman Michael Edwardes shared that view. It was a fantastic shape but, when I parked it, nobody looked at it. He hopes his friend will be remembered as "one of those stalwarts in the post-war era that maintained a better life for ordinary people", not as an "agitator" or "destroyer" which he said was "a complete invention". 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. Ian is unable to help with technical queries he pays other people to fix his cars! 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. VideoRecord numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. Where can you get cheap classic car insurance? Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? "He's seen as a troublemaker, someone who resisted attempts to modernise," he said. Judge for yourself. By 1975, it had been bailed out by the government, which now owned 95% of it. 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. The size, militancy and determination felt on the pickets, demos and rallies show that the sleeping giant, the British working class, has stirred. 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. I called into the Plant Directors office and said that Id like to look around to see what was happening. Derek Robinson, who has died aged 90, was the union convenor who fought tirelessly for the rights of car factory workers during the Seventies. First edition. By Business Ideas UK October 31, 2017. 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. 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. 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. 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 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. BL began selling its interests in the 1980s, and by 1990 the Ford Motor . . Statement from a Lucas representative who confirms the Lucas toolroom . The Question was as follows: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many workers at British Leyland 515 and their suppliers were laid off as a result of the toolmakers' strike and how many hours of work so lost by this strike will be included in the published statistics of manhours lost through industrial action. He was in charge of 32 men on the night shift who were dismissed, disciplined, or 'who resigned rather than be dismissed. Even today, there are certain professions where . Often this meant DJs talked too much to keep within the restrictions, which annoyed listeners, until finally in 1987 needletime was axed. By the winter of 1979, as 1.5 million public sector workers were on strike across the UK, the Labour government was in its final throes. We are looking for a Children's Residential Support Worker to join an outstanding Children's Home. 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. 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. Doubling up as it was known-working extra fast so you could bunk off-wasnt confined to BL either. How many CEOs could you describe in those terms today? Zafer went to Stokes memorial service: People stood up and said some great things about him: told the truth. "But they are going to appeal against the decision. 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. What's he waiting for? 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. Once part of the sprawling British Leyland automotive empire that epitomised Britain's industrial decline . Whatexactly happened and whenare not easy to decipher. 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 . Derek 'Red Robbo' Robinson led a long-running battle against management at the British Leyland plant in Longbridge throughout the 1970s. Is the 1990 Ford Escort Bonus a classic car? 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. DAILY MIRROR. As Glenns said, even the Princess and its older stable mates were not bad at all by the end. 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. Red Robbo speaks to striking workers at Longbridge in the 1970s. 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. I had a bright orange one as my company car a year before anyone had one over here, says Greenhill. Then Aldi and Lidl arrived and the facade melted away. A communist, he had led 523 walkouts at the Birmingham car plant during a 30-month period, gaining the nickname Red Robbo from journalists and becoming an increasingly divisive national figure. Derek Robinson - Red Robbo - speaks to striking British Leyland workers in Cofton Park. 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. People were not being properly paid and rewarded so they got together and formed their own alliance. He was accessible to all, cogent and a listener! 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