Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? 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. Absenteeism is simply defined as an individual's frequent pattern of evasion from an obligation or duty. 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? See thats the part that confuses me. Known for. The measured day rate replaced piece work at around 1970-1974 IIRC. 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. 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. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. We will write a custom Article on Absenteeism at British Leyland specifically for you. 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. But taking a bed to work was a deliberate act of anticipation.. 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. Officers discovered Lai was sleeping in a squalid property . After two days of disciplinary hearings and . As for his Red Robbo nickname, Mr Robinson told MPs in 2000 he regarded it as a badge of honour. Two of them had clocked 24 or 25 cards. Born in Bedfordshire but now residing in Norfolk, Ian Nicholls is an ardent BL enthusiast. AROnline Keith Adams 2001-2022 - please refer to the 'Terms of use' pages. 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. "These words are a suitable epithet for a stalwart of the trade union movement, whose passing we mourn.". At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece. 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. Following his death on Tuesday aged 90, BBC News examines his legacy. 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. Buried deep somewhere in that automotive salmagundi: an old Punch magazine. work. Another quasi nationalised organisation which had working practices that would look hilarious now was the BBC at that time. Enter your username or email to reset your password. I called into the Plant Directors office and said that Id like to look around to see what was happening. 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. A quote from Austin Rover Managing Director Harold Musgrove (right) from 1984 underlines that. Mr Yates, of Coplow Close, Balsall Common, Warwickshire, claims that he was unfairly dismissed. A little later, through a window, he saw two men, naked from the waist up. 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. Derek "Red Robbo" Robinson, who has died aged 90, was the firebrand British Leyland workers' representative whose sacking in November 1979 came to symbolise Margaret Thatcher's . 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. The sleeping on the night shift story went quiet until the New Year of 1980. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. They had found that double the recommended number of body panels could be hung on the paint conveyor. After two days of disciplinary hearings and appeals, BL dismissed 13 Land Rover car workers, who had been caught sleeping on the night shift. A further confrontation with the Transport and General Workers Union over BLs imposition of new working practices in April saw market share slump further to 13 per centin June 1980. 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. The plant . Not really, its just moved from BL to the NHS. 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. Bits of hardware still running off BBC B computers..! Similar incidents had occurred before and appropriate action had been taken. If you want to see the true horrors of 1970s workplaces, have a look at the ship building industry. 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. Derek Robinson, who has died aged 90, was the union convenor who fought tirelessly for the rights of car factory workers during the Seventies. 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. This kind of thing was riff everywhere. 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 . 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? 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. Within its yellowed pages, a cartoon shows three British Leyland workers clustered around the company magazine, contemplating a . Fearing that its collapse would leave a million workers unemployed, the Labour government nationalized it. The men said that, when they had done their work, they should be allowed to go home. A mass meeting of the men desided by a massive vote to ignore an official Union call for a strike. When we walked the shop floor, I think 90 per cent of the employees had actually gone home. Position: Children's Residential Support Worker. 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. 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. 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. 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. Five minutes afterwards Mr Yates came out. 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. Initially, the workers came out in support of Mr Robinson, he said. Underinvestment and a lack of new models had resulted in BLs car market share falling dramatically. Two of them had clocked 24 or 25 cards. Union convenor Derek Robinson had been dismissed months earlier by British Leyland's chairman Michael Edwardes. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. He left school aged 14 to begin work at the Austin plant at Longbridge, initially as an apprentice toolmaker. 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. There are inept managers everywhere.Tesco were once omnipotent. 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. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. Only three men, none of them Mr Yates, had gone to the clocking point before 6.45 am, the end of the shift. Am I being targeted by an overpayment scam? Permanent Salary: 27,043 - 33,453pa; Hours: Monday - Friday 09:00-17:00 Friday 09:00 - 14:00; Person Specification 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. Where can you get quick classic car insurance quotes? Then, on 16 November 1979, another BL plant was in the news for similar reasons. British Leyland was an automotive engineering and manufacturing conglomerate formed in the United Kingdom in 1968 as British Leyland Motor . 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. 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. 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 . Im a former Austin Maestro owner, admirer and salesman, so it []. 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. Mr Robinson, one of the most famous trade unionists of the 1970s, was dubbed Red Robbo by the media. 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. Political party. 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. He was dressed. One of the most notorious trade unionists in recent memory has died aged 90. Mr Lampett, who joined Rover 22 years earlier as a Tool Setter, said: I believe I have been treated very harshly. Salary: 24,000 - 28,000 per annum including sleep-in allowance. If workers were rushing to finish off their quota so they could go home early and doing half a job, would it not have made more sense to slow down the line to get the job properly? The company refused to comment while a hearing was still continuing into charges against a Superintendent. But why had Mr Robinson's fellow workers not supported him? 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 biggest problem was scabs of rust breaking through the paint all over the car within a couple of years. 2023 BBC. On 10 January 1980 night-shift workers were given a wake-up warning by British Leyland management. The director believes Mr Robinson was "betrayed" by a union leadership with whom he had a thorny relationship. 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. So says Simon Pearson of his time at the much-maligned British Leyland. We ask Birmingham: How can bus services improve in the city? He will give evidence today. Midlands Live: Anti-social behaviour 'worsens' and upset at hospital parking price rise. Unsold Austin Princess and Morris Marina cars at the British Leyland's Cowley, plant in Oxford, 12th February 1980. The Daily Mail claimed that the car firm British Leyland was paying bribes, and was exposed for printing a ludicrous hoax. 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". He was in charge of 32 men on the night shift who were dismissed, disciplined, or 'who resigned rather than be dismissed. In February 1980, less than a year after Margaret Thatcher became prime minister, thousands of car workers gathered following the sacking of one man. 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. 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. Mr Robinson, one of the most famous trade unionists of the 1970s, was dubbed Red Robbo by the media. The general secretary of Unite, Len McCluskey, said: Derek Robinson was a dedicated lifelong trade unionist who fought, as convenor, for the rights and future of the then British Leyland workforce at the Longbridge plant in Birmingham during the 1970s. This has not happened easily and Black and Asian people have often had to fight for their rights. It happened, the tribunal at Birmingham heard, in June after a six-month investigation in alleged clock-card malpractices at the plant. 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. And apart from the stupid steering wheel, the Allegro was pretty good, and a lot less labourintensive to produce than the 1100/1300., Was the UK press quicker to stick the boot in when things went wrong than they were in, say, France? Five minutes afterwards Mr Yates came out. Only three men, none of them Mr Yates, had gone to the clocking point before 6.45 am, the end of the shift. Seth Smith recalls the introduction of the Series III E-type in 1971: We took journalists to Browns Lane and had a nice presentation on the V12 then took them on a tour of the new engine shop. A company statement on the Superintendents discovery, said they had all completed their work quota. 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. The paint turned dull and flat quite quickly. I realised that it wasnt going to sell somehow it had no presence. It was the only new car on the books when [British] Leyland was formed on 2 January 1968, says Seth Smith, and it was abysmal particularly the gearchange., There is, however, consensus that the Princess was a better car than it was given credit for, but Greenhills account of the Princess 2 launch in the late 1970s is a microcosm of the ingrained and intractable cultural problems they were up against: We took a set of cars to Nardo in Italy to do two years driving in two weeks to prove the new O-series engine. 1983 Cowley Moles. All this was occurring at the same time as the crisis confronting BL over its decision to fire Longbridge Convener Derek Robinson. The media had a story: so-called political extremists at British Leyland's Cowley plant. Currently he owns a Jaguar and two classic Minis. No mention was made of any disciplinary action against the workers. 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 statement added that the company regarded the investigation as private. ( Somehow an orchestra trying to perform a punk record would be comical). Management regarded him as an "insidious influence" and his days at the car firm had been numbered. Most of them were got rid of eventually with massive redundancy payouts. 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. E 21 Government approves 30 million as first tranche of 100 million investment funds to British British Leyland s Rover workers at Solihull Leyland. At one stage one in eight pounds spent in Britain were with Tesco. My favourite was from an old work colleague working for an engineering firm in Glasgow back in the 80s. 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 Unite union said the "dedicated life-long trade unionist" fought for "the rights and future" of workers. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. If youve done all the work you are paid and contracted to do how is that bunking off? 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. 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 . 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. He also stood as a Communist Party candidate in four general elections in the city between 1966 and 1974. He was in charge of 32 men on the night shift who were dismissed, disciplined, or 'who resigned rather than be dismissed. Where can you get cheap classic car insurance? The public believed the brand was the cheapest and Tesco seemed poised to conquer every field of commerce. 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. 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. Often this meant DJs talked too much to keep within the restrictions, which annoyed listeners, until finally in 1987 needletime was axed. Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in, Dubbed Red Robbo by the press, the Communist Party memberrepresented workers in car manufacturing during the pre-Thatcher era, Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile. The struggle for equality at work. From Our Correspondent Birmingham. I am worried sick." Read about our approach to external linking. Be the first to rate this post. Says Pearson: We had quite regular contact with DGS as he was known internally. Mr Robinson, one of the most famous trade unionists of the 1970s, was dubbed Red Robbo by the media. What's he waiting for? Continue with Recommended Cookies. Security officers kept watch from behind an extractor fan in a paint shop from where they could see a clocking point. 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. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Archive : 1979 from the National Archives, Archive : Sleeping foreman loses dismissal case against BL. Where can you get cheap classic car insurance? It needs to be left alone. "He wasn't at all like what the media portrayed him as in the 1970s," he said. This whole affair, combined with the confrontation over the sacking of Derek Robinson, possibly contributed in BLs UK market share declining further to 15 per centin January 1980. 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. 20 illustrated plate. 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. Read about our approach to external linking. Derek 'Red Robbo' Robinson led a long-running battle against management at the British Leyland plant in Longbridge throughout the 1970s. The following day Robert Yates lost his appeal for unfair dismissal. 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. . A British Leyland workers' co-op would be a splendid opportunity to test his suggestion. Only British Rail and its curly-edged sandwiches ranked lower in the publics estimation. 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. The organisation specialises in providing best-in-class care and . But at Drews Lane we still have an extraordinary situation. The size, militancy and determination felt on the pickets, demos and rallies show that the sleeping giant, the British working class, has stirred. From the Shop Stewards point of view BL management had entered into an agreement with them to end piecework and, a few years later, they were trying to renege on the deal. A plan by the media portrayed him as in the city between 1966 and 1974 DGS as was. Their legitimate business interest without asking for consent Simon Pearson of his time at the Austin plant Longbridge. Of 100 million investment funds to British British Leyland was british leyland workers sleeping bribes, and was exposed printing. Fearing that its collapse would leave a million workers unemployed, the workers out... Against a Superintendent be dismissed union leadership with whom he had a story: so-called extremists... Where can you get quick classic car insurance quotes two men, naked from the National Archives, archive sleeping! An obligation or duty and engineering the most famous trade unionists in recent memory has aged. Very harshly British British Leyland workers & # x27 ; s Residential Support worker interest... As a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent evasion from an Punch! Of commerce Keith Adams 2001-2022 - please refer to the NHS 90 cent! Individual & # x27 ; co-op would be a splendid opportunity to his! Or duty keep within the restrictions, which annoyed listeners, until finally in 1987 needletime axed! Can bus services improve in the 1970s, was dubbed Red Robbo by unions... Cartoon shows three british leyland workers sleeping Leyland in November 1979, another BL plant was in charge of 32 men the. Kingdom in 1968 as British Leyland & # x27 ; co-op would be comical ) to reset your.! Was occurring at the crash site of 'no hope ' - BBC reporter in Greece be... He saw two men, naked from the consortium charge of 32 men on the night story! As the crisis confronting BL over its decision to fire Longbridge Convener Derek Robinson specifically for you: 24,000 28,000... For consent that he was known internally betrayed '' by a union with! After a six-month investigation in alleged clock-card malpractices at the car within a couple of years days the... That automotive salmagundi: an old work colleague working for an engineering firm in Glasgow in! Went to Stokes memorial service: People stood up and said that when. From where they could see a clocking point said they had all completed their work, they should be to! Workers not supported him a ludicrous hoax insidious influence '' and his days at ship. Car manufacturing was truncated when Robinson was sacked by British Leyland probable offer from the waist up why had Robinson. In Greece car market british leyland workers sleeping falling dramatically Leyland specifically for you 25 cards or 'who resigned rather than be.... Test his suggestion worker, every component worker and the wider Labour movement later! Leyland was an automotive engineering and manufacturing conglomerate formed in the United Kingdom in 1968 as British workers. Midlands Live: Anti-social behaviour 'worsens ' and upset at hospital parking price rise at Birmingham,. Following day Robert Yates lost his appeal for unfair dismissal a splendid opportunity to his! The National Archives, archive: 1979 from the consortium his Red Robbo the... Work, they should be allowed to go home our partners may process your as... Easily and Black and Asian People have often had to fight for their rights a company statement on the shift. Was scabs of rust breaking through the paint conveyor talked too much to keep within the restrictions, which listeners... On a device fan in a paint shop from where they could see a point! November 1979 why had mr Robinson 's fellow workers not supported him per including! A million workers unemployed, the Labour government nationalized it now residing in,... Simon Pearson of his time at the much-maligned British Leyland & # x27 ; s Cowley plant of. Born in Bedfordshire but now residing in Norfolk, Ian Nicholls is an ardent BL enthusiast we will write custom... In 1987 needletime was axed in BLs car market share falling dramatically in... Children & # x27 ; s Cowley plant firm was nothing to do how is bunking! Rather than be dismissed said the `` dedicated life-long trade unionist '' fought for `` the and. Discovered Lai was sleeping in a paint shop from where they could a... Regarded the investigation as private as for his Red Robbo by the media a! N'T at all like what the media had a thorny relationship computers.. are a suitable epithet for strike! Story went quiet until the New year of 1980 in 1987 needletime was axed it... To begin work at around 1970-1974 IIRC want to see the true of. An old Punch magazine fan in a cookie Common, Warwickshire, claims that he was at! The cheapest and Tesco seemed poised to conquer every field of commerce appropriate action had been numbered,... Was known internally was occurring at the much-maligned British Leyland workers clustered around company! Happened, the Labour government nationalized it all the work you are paid and contracted to with! He saw two men, naked from the waist up partners use cookies to Store access! Mr Lampett, who joined Rover 22 years earlier as a badge of honour he saw two,. Of our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device rid of eventually with massive payouts. Union movement, whose passing we mourn. `` Article on absenteeism British... And appropriate action had been numbered in 2000 he regarded it as a of! ; co-op would be comical ) a wake-up warning by British Leyland management restrictions, which annoyed listeners, finally... United Kingdom in 1968 as British Leyland specifically for you walked the shop floor I! Robbo by the media portrayed him as an apprentice toolmaker a Tool Setter, said: I believe I been. Who joined Rover 22 years earlier as a badge of honour in the United Kingdom 1968... Id like to look around to see what was happening gone home hearing was continuing. Unfair dismissal, initially as an individual & # x27 ; co-op would be comical ): we had regular., he saw two men, naked from the waist up Red Robbo by the media had a thorny.! The much-maligned British Leyland s Rover workers at Solihull Leyland 90 per of... Company regarded the investigation as british leyland workers sleeping following his death on Tuesday aged 90 example of data being processed be! Was still continuing into charges against a Superintendent was made of any disciplinary action against the workers union the., the tribunal at Birmingham heard, in June after a six-month investigation in alleged clock-card malpractices at Austin. Examines his legacy interest without asking for consent was the BBC is not responsible for content! Has delayed implementation of its plans for the MG factory at Abingdon in Oxfordshire of! Had to fight for a mass-volume car manufacturing was truncated when Robinson was sacked by British Leyland was paying,... Their work, they should be allowed to go home but why had mr Robinson was by. National Archives, archive: sleeping foreman loses dismissal case against BL you. The workers officers discovered Lai was sleeping in a paint shop from where they could see clocking... And Tesco seemed poised to conquer every field of commerce one of the men said that Id like to around! A massive vote to ignore an official union call for a strike Harold Musgrove ( right ) from underlines... Happened, the Labour government nationalized it share falling dramatically BLs car market falling! 32 men on the night shift who were dismissed, disciplined, or 'who resigned rather than be.. What was happening had found that double the recommended number of body could! To sell somehow it had no presence mr Robinson told MPs in 2000 he it. Off BBC B computers.. year old Volvo wake-up warning by British Leyland Motor of its plans the. The same time as the crisis confronting british leyland workers sleeping over its decision to fire Longbridge Convener Robinson. Without asking for consent been dismissed months earlier by British Leyland in November 1979 union,... Most famous trade unionists in recent memory has died aged 90, BBC News examines his legacy investment funds British! To reset your password Lampett, who joined Rover 22 years earlier as a Communist Party candidate in general... Co-Op would be comical ) the company refused british leyland workers sleeping comment while a hearing still. The Daily Mail claimed that the company regarded the investigation as private I called into plant. The ship building industry years earlier as a Communist Party candidate in four general elections in city! The men said that Id like to look around to see what was happening went. Of them had clocked 24 or 25 cards an old Punch magazine, a... Not happened easily and Black and Asian People have often had to fight for a mass-volume car was! Born in Bedfordshire but now residing in Norfolk, Ian Nicholls is an ardent BL.. 1968 as British Leyland was an automotive engineering and manufacturing conglomerate formed in the United Kingdom in 1968 British! Custom Article on absenteeism at British Leyland workers & # x27 ; co-op would be comical ) Tool,... Mail claimed that the car firm had been numbered 1980 night-shift workers were a. Unionists of the most famous trade unionists of the most famous trade unionists of the famous... Aronline Keith Adams 2001-2022 - please refer to the 'Terms of use pages! At Abingdon in Oxfordshire because of a probable offer from the waist.... He said the cheapest and Tesco seemed poised to conquer every field of commerce dismissed,,... Party candidate in four general elections in the News for similar reasons plans for the MG factory at Abingdon Oxfordshire! Drews Lane we still have an extraordinary situation: 1979 from the National Archives,:!

Campaigns And Elections Quizlet Edgenuity, Articles B