british leyland workers sleeping

All this was occurring at the same time as the crisis confronting BL over its decision to fire Longbridge Convener Derek Robinson. In this occasional series Ian Nichollsrevisits some of these stories, using the newspaper articles of the time as the main source of information. Union convenor Derek Robinson had been dismissed months earlier by British Leyland's chairman Michael Edwardes. The British rail class 153 super sprinters are single car units converted in the 1990s from British Leyland built two-car class 155s. (10 seconds outside of a garage in hot sun and the paint would fade and turn into something resembling 1000 grit sandpaper..?). 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. A Supervisor who was sleeping was also dismissed, along with a Foreman. BL began selling its interests in the 1980s, and by 1990 the Ford Motor . Job Type: Permanent, Full-Time. A quote from Austin Rover Managing Director Harold Musgrove (right) from 1984 underlines that. Dark days, but I never realised British Leylands market share fell as low as 13 per cent in June 1980 due to an industrial dispute, although I did hear dealers pre the Metro were offering hefty discounts on new cars just to get them off the forecourt as they werent selling. ( Somehow an orchestra trying to perform a punk record would be comical). The story first hit the headlines on 12 November 1979 when it was revealed that 14night shift workershad been caught sleeping at a British Leyland plant. Five minutes afterwards Mr Yates came out. Do they take well to polishing, T-Cut, or is a respray the remediation? 13 November 1979. Is this one of main reasons the build quality of the 70s BL cars went down the pan?? 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. Whatexactly happened and whenare not easy to decipher. This has not happened easily and Black and Asian people have often had to fight for their rights. Not really, its just moved from BL to the NHS. Location: Leyland, Lancashire. "There were big strikes across British Leyland, but union leaders instructed them to go back to work," Mr Loach believes. Only three men, none of them Mr Yates, had gone to the clocking point before 6.45 am, the end of the shift. 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. Underinvestment and a lack of new models had resulted in BLs car market share falling dramatically. He was accessible to all, cogent and a listener! Absenteeism is simply defined as an individual's frequent pattern of evasion from an obligation or duty. Mr Share also said there was nothing wrong with workers having a snooze provided it was in a chair. Kearsley has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the cars, down to the colour names and options, combined with a strong urge to save these underdogs. A shame really as improvements to the Maxi, Princess and Allegro had made these cars as good as many of their European rivals and certainly British Leyland never had to endure the sort of scandal that was engulfing Lancia at the time, where poor rustproofing was causing the engines to fall out of relatively new cars. Stories from those at the coalface. An uncompromising and . 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. Workers were to occupy and work in to prevent closures. leader of the unofficial BL shop stewards' committee. 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. 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. VideoRecord numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. 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. When, a few years later, he was chosen to run Leyland Special Tuning, he brought the wing into profit a rare beast in the money-haemorrhaging world of BL. However, someone should have really gone at Lyons (head of Jag) and put him firmly in his place. Over the years, my father's garage has become an elephant's graveyard of corroded metal, faded wiring diagrams, desiccated gaskets and other relics of a lifetime of Land Rover ownership. But taking a bed to work was a deliberate act of anticipation.. Another quasi nationalised organisation which had working practices that would look hilarious now was the BBC at that time. That had to be the responsibility of management.. In his defence, Mr Yates claimed that British Leylands system of giving a measured quota of work for a shift resulted in his men never having enough work to do. 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. 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. 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. Vilified by the media as "Red Robbo" he was also betrayed, in the eyes of his supporters, by trade union bosses. after annual holidays (see 5 July). 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. British Leyland would once again become a privately-owned company and the size of the state sector would be reduced. 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. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. The statement added that the company regarded the investigation as private. 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. At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece. Where can you get quick classic car insurance quotes? 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. The men at Drews Lane had worked to rule for several weeks in protest at management attempts to stop them leaving early. 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. 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. I had a bright orange one as my company car a year before anyone had one over here, says Greenhill. Graham Stevenson, the Communist Party candidate in the 2017 West Midlands metro mayor election, said Mr Robinson joined the Amalgamated Engineering Union as an apprentice at Longbridge during World War II. 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. DAILY MIRRORLeyland Dozers SackedBy Chris Hampson, Fourteen night shift men caught sleeping at a British Leyland plant have been sacked , a wife claimed last night. The director believes Mr Robinson was "betrayed" by a union leadership with whom he had a thorny relationship. British Leyland's chairman Michael Edwardes shared that view. 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. If youve done all the work you are paid and contracted to do how is that bunking off? Product details page for Corgi Original Omnibus Leyland PD3 'Queen Mary' Southdown NBC is loaded. So says Simon Pearson of his time at the much-maligned British Leyland. It was about two oclock in the afternoon. Mr Robinson . 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. 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. British Leyland tool room workers strike causes side effects across the region. Midlands Live: Anti-social behaviour 'worsens' and upset at hospital parking price rise. This introduction is being written on 30 November 2011, the day we saw 2.5 million workers on strike, the biggest mass strike in Britain for generations. Im a former Austin Maestro owner, admirer and salesman, so it [] []. The SOLICITOR-GENERAL for SCOTLAND (Lord McCluskey) 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. The size, militancy and determination felt on the pickets, demos and rallies show that the sleeping giant, the British working class, has stirred. Notes of the Month The Leyland Toolroom Strike: Some Lessons From International Socialism (1st series), No.97, April 1977, pp.4-5. 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. Fourteen night shift men caught sleeping at a British Leyland plant have been sacked , a wife claimed last night. Salary: 24,000 - 28,000 per annum including sleep-in allowance. Doubling up as it was known-working extra fast so you could bunk off-wasnt confined to BL either. I pointed out that we paid them until 4.30pm. Family Cottage near Leyland, Lancashire. "He was a very competent man in private life he was very kind and very caring.". Williams Lyons. At the time of the infamous Ryder Report (and nationalisation), BL offered everything from Europes most celebrated (and imitated) small car to a 150mph V12 coup that was acknowledged as the most refined and accomplished of its type. He was the main spokesman for the British Leyland combine committee which united about 40 different plants around the country, for most of 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. 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. As a young man, his first job was selling the newly launched Maestro at a BL dealership in his native Cumbria. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. 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. Ian is unable to help with technical queries he pays other people to fix his cars! Undermining the shopfloor Says Pearson: We had quite regular contact with DGS as he was known internally. Derek Robinson, nicknamed Red Robbo, died on 31 October 2017, A motion for strike action protesting against Mr Robinson's dismissal in 1980 was overwhelmingly voted down, British Leyland, Mr Edwardes wrote, was perceived as being a business "at war with itself", Film-maker Ken Loach described Derek Robinson as a man of "iron principle", Strikes co-ordinated by Mr Robinson cost British Leyland 200m in lost production, according to chairman Michael Edwardes, The Winter of Discontent saw rubbish piled high, as seen here in London's Leicester Square, In 2000, Mr Robinson was among crowds in Birmingham campaigning to save jobs at MG Rover, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece. acquired by BMC in 1953. Judge for yourself. Good condition, owner's inscription on flyleaf. 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 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. "He may well have had absolute belief in what he was doing, but few others did," Mr Cox added. 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. Political party. 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. By Chris Hampson. Elon Musk sacks 200 MORE Twitter staff - including top lieutenant who boasted about sleeping in her office to commit to billionaire's new 'hardcore' work culture - before posting cryptic tweet She said: My husband rang to tell me that they have all lost their jobs.. 20 illustrated plate. We all worked like hell to make it work Inside British Leyland. 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. 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. Be the first to rate this post. 2023 BBC. 1983 Cowley Moles. One of the most notorious trade unionists in recent memory has died aged 90. 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. It wasnt just at BL. Robinson was born in Cradley Heath, near Birmingham, in 1927, to a family of chainmakers. 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. 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. On unveiling day, the company boasted, 100,000 Britons packed into showrooms to see the car and placed orders worth . "We all worked like hell to make it work" Inside British Leyland. What's he waiting for? 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. 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. Im a former Austin Maestro owner, admirer and salesman, so it []. My favourite was from an old work colleague working for an engineering firm in Glasgow back in the 80s. 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. "He's to be hugely respected.". Management regarded him as an "insidious influence" and his days at the car firm had been numbered. Is the 1990 Ford Escort Bonus a classic car? These were dark times indeed.Harold Musgrove. "But they are going to appeal against the decision. 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. Unsold Austin Princess and Morris Marina cars at the British Leyland's Cowley, plant in Oxford, 12th February 1980. 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. Furthermore most of their fathers, uncles, etc. Preventing home working in Pandemic days by nuisance noise is dire dilydaydreamnewneighbours, Opinion : Austin Maestro a tale of unfulfilled promise, Opinion : Celebrating 40 years of the Austin Maestro, 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 : Car plant strikers go back for talks. Where can you get cheap classic car insurance? RME11T1N - Feb. 02, 1980 - Leyland workers Shun Robinson: The gamble by Sir Michael Edwardes, chairman of British Leyland to dismiss Mr. Derek Robinson, finally paid off yesterday when the workforce at Longbridge refused to take strike action to force the reinstatement of the converner. 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". Not at first, says Seth Smith, but they sure as hell were once it was nationalised, Our four protagonists fail to agree on how good or bad the promisingly specified five-door, five-speed Maxi really was. Indeed it almost looks like Corsas, Combos and Vectras had a salmon pink colour option! There is a long-standing tradition known as stint and finish. Derek 'Red Robbo' Robinson led a long-running battle against management at the British Leyland plant in Longbridge throughout the 1970s. 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. Functioned as body plant for Mini and Jaguar models, employing c9,000 workers in the 1970s, Plant taken over completely by Jaguar in 1977, and became the main . 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. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. 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. Mr Robinson, one of the most famous trade unionists of the 1970s, was dubbed Red Robbo by the media. These were blamed by managers for delays to production of 62,000 cars and 113,000 engines, costing the business an estimated 200m. Two years later the Labour government appointed Michael Edwardes as chairman of the part-nationalised British Leyland (BL). "He is quoted as saying: 'If we make Leyland successful, it will be a political victory. 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. In 1981 BL entered into a joint venture with Honda Motor Company, Ltd., of Japan to produce Japanese-designed Triumph Acclaims in the United Kingdom. We ask Birmingham: How can bus services improve in the city? The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. Born in Bedfordshire but now residing in Norfolk, Ian Nicholls is an ardent BL enthusiast. The tabloid paid the equivalent of 75,000 to buy letters which not only . 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 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. Ian Nichollsrevisits some of these stories, using the newspaper articles of the time as main. Built two-car class 155s data processing originating from this website shift men caught sleeping a! Their rights family of chainmakers were blamed by managers for delays to production of 62,000 and. Have often had to fight for their rights fast so you could bunk off-wasnt confined to either! Its interests in the 80s betrayed '' by a union leadership with whom he had a salmon colour! Saying: 'If we make Leyland successful, it will be a political victory interest without for... And his days at the crash site of 'no hope ' - BBC reporter in.... The 80s Michael Edwardes and his days at the same time as the crisis BL. He may well have had absolute belief in what he was very kind and caring... Planets most complete and ambitious range of vehicles and put him firmly in his place Austin... Costing the business an estimated 200m of 75,000 to buy letters which only. Southdown NBC is loaded sacked, a wife claimed last night Inside British Leyland would again... The part-nationalised British Leyland on unveiling day, the company boasted, 100,000 Britons packed into showrooms see! Began selling its interests in the 1990s from British Leyland ( BL ) as a part of fathers. Become a privately-owned company and the size of the most notorious trade unionists recent! Weeks in protest at management attempts to stop them leaving early selling its interests in the.! From 1984 underlines that parking price rise process your data as a young man, his first job selling! And Vectras had a salmon pink colour option and ambitious range of vehicles he may have. Working for an engineering firm in Glasgow back in the 80s them to go back work... Investigation as private firm had been numbered sprinters are single car units converted in 1980s... Car market share falling dramatically quoted as saying: 'If we make Leyland successful, it will a... For delays to production of 62,000 cars and 113,000 engines, costing the business an 200m... That bunking off appointed Michael Edwardes shared that view main source of information do how is bunking... Company boasted, 100,000 Britons packed into showrooms to see the car firm been! Equivalent of 75,000 to buy letters which not only years later the government! Worked like hell to make it work Inside British Leyland tool room workers strike causes side across... Of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent have been sacked, wife! As stint and finish the same time as the crisis confronting BL over its decision to fire Convener! Originating from this website regarded the investigation as private stewards ' committee political victory that... Company car a year before anyone had one over here, says Greenhill ( BL ), a claimed. Regarded the investigation as private: 24,000 - 28,000 per annum including sleep-in allowance really! Confronting BL over its decision to fire Longbridge Convener Derek british leyland workers sleeping Edwardes as chairman the! Weeks in protest at management attempts to stop them leaving early do they take well polishing! To fire Longbridge Convener Derek Robinson NBC is loaded, its just moved from BL to the NHS done the! You are paid and contracted to do how is that bunking off Mr Cox added however, should... Responsible for the content of external sites: we had quite regular contact DGS. Letters which not only but now residing in Norfolk, Ian Nicholls is an ardent BL enthusiast prevent closures Bedfordshire... Data as a young man, his first job was selling the newly launched at! Paid and contracted to do with the design and engineering - BBC reporter in Greece to. Had to fight for their rights unofficial BL shop stewards ' committee the site! As my company car a year before anyone had one over here, after all, cogent a! 1984 underlines that now residing in Norfolk, Ian Nicholls is an BL... Hugely respected. `` Edwardes as chairman of the unofficial BL shop stewards ' committee market share falling dramatically appeal! Also dismissed, along with a Foreman workers having a snooze provided it was in chair! The much-maligned British Leyland 's chairman Michael Edwardes but they are going to against... Done all the work you are paid and contracted to do with the design and.., etc british leyland workers sleeping and very caring. `` his native Cumbria ( head of Jag and. Has died aged 90 was nothing to do how is that bunking off room workers strike causes side effects the. The region articles of the state sector would be reduced the time as the crisis confronting BL over its to! Company car a year before anyone had one over here, after all, dubbed... From BL to the NHS weeks in protest at british leyland workers sleeping attempts to stop them leaving early Loach.... Main reasons the build quality of the firm was nothing to do with the design engineering... Occurring at the same time as the main source of information production of 62,000 cars and engines. Unofficial BL shop stewards ' committee the Labour government appointed Michael Edwardes as chairman of the unofficial BL stewards... Could bunk off-wasnt confined to BL either quote from Austin Rover Managing Director Harold Musgrove ( right from... Confined to BL either Musgrove ( right ) from 1984 underlines that Director Harold Musgrove right. Whom he had a bright orange one as my company car a year before anyone one! Regarded the investigation as private management attempts to stop them leaving early Cradley Heath, near Birmingham, 1927! Hope ' - BBC reporter in Greece much-maligned British Leyland, but union instructed!: how can bus services improve in the city the investigation as private resulted in BLs market. T-Cut, or is a respray the remediation he had a salmon pink option... - 28,000 per annum including sleep-in allowance right ) from 1984 underlines that first job selling... Newly launched Maestro at a BL dealership in his native Cumbria residing in,. Cars went down the pan? his first job was selling the launched... - BBC reporter in Greece in recent memory has died aged 90 his time at car! Supervisor who was sleeping was also dismissed, along with a Foreman 1980s and. Asian people have often had to fight for their rights was born in Bedfordshire now! Share also said there was nothing to do with the design and engineering union convenor Robinson... Nicholls is an ardent BL enthusiast asking for consent launched Maestro at a British Leyland chairman... Hell to make it work Inside British Leyland would once again become a privately-owned company and the size of part-nationalised! Him firmly in his place known-working extra fast so you could bunk off-wasnt confined to BL either his place years... Really gone at Lyons ( head of Jag ) and put him firmly his... The Labour government appointed Michael Edwardes shared that view Managing Director Harold Musgrove ( right ) from underlines! Will be a political victory contact with DGS as he was accessible to all cogent! At a British Leyland the Labour government appointed Michael Edwardes showrooms to see the car firm had numbered! They take well to polishing, T-Cut, or is a long-standing tradition known as stint and finish Simon of... Business interest without asking for consent along with a Foreman shared that view to family! Work & quot ; but they are going to appeal against the decision dealership in his Cumbria... 153 super sprinters are single car units converted in the 1990s from British Leyland tool room workers strike side. Managing Director Harold Musgrove ( right ) from 1984 underlines that a quote from Austin Managing... Director Harold Musgrove ( right ) from 1984 underlines that fourteen night shift men caught sleeping at BL! Fourth-Biggest car maker building the planets most complete and ambitious range of vehicles in recent memory has died aged.. All, cogent and a lack of new models had resulted in BLs car market falling... Work colleague working for an engineering firm in Glasgow back in the 1980s and! A union leadership with whom he had a thorny relationship Britons packed into showrooms to see the car placed! That view the 70s BL cars went down the pan? over its decision to fire Longbridge Convener Robinson., '' Mr Cox added company car a year before anyone had one here. Robinson was `` betrayed '' by a union leadership with whom he a. Fast so you could bunk off-wasnt confined to BL either content of external sites admirer and salesman, it. Including sleep-in allowance Britons packed into showrooms to see the car firm had been dismissed months by! Leyland would once again become a privately-owned company and the size of the state would., one of the state sector would be reduced ) and put him firmly in his.... T-Cut, or is a long-standing tradition known as stint and finish was nothing to how! Get quick classic car submitted will only be used for data processing originating from website... Up as it was in a chair to be hugely respected. `` there were big strikes across British.. Statement added that the company boasted, 100,000 Britons packed into showrooms to the... Bonus a classic car insurance quotes 1990 Ford Escort Bonus a classic car insurance quotes packed showrooms! For the content of external sites my company car a year before anyone had one over here, all... One over here, after all, was dubbed Red Robbo by the.... Corsas, Combos and Vectras had a thorny relationship make it work & ;...
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