From The Times 32 Years Ago Today.

Back in the seventies the Mini and the factory that produced it was always in the news.
Here is a story from the Times exactly 32 years ago.


September 7th 1976

Eleven men sabotage Leyland peace move

By Clifford Webb

Eleven shop stewards plunged Leyland Cars deeper into crisis last night. Within minutes of a binding " peace charter " being approved by the 700- strong Longbridge shop stewards joint body, the 11 voted for an unofficial strike to continue. As a result Longbridge went into a second week with 18,000 men laid off and production of Minis and Allegros at a standstill. By last night the total number of Leyland workers idle at Longbridge, Castle Bromwich and Coventry had reached nearly 24,000. With £25m worth of cars lost in the past two months through strikes, losses continue to mount at the rate of £1.5m a day. This could reach the £2m mark within a matter of days as Jaguar, Coventry, and Rover, Solihull, are affected by a continuing strike at the Castle Bromwich bodyworks. The number laid off at the two works rose to more than 5,000 last night.
Mr Derek Robinson, leader of the eight strong Longbridge shop stewards works committee, told a press conference that the 11 comprised the negotiating committee representing some 1,200 tool-room men. He revealed that seven of the 11 had been present at the emergency mass meeting of shop stewards called by the works committee, but
" they seem to have slipped out before the vote was taken ".
Despite this, Mr Robinson said, 50 other toolroom shop stewards had stayed at the meeting and voted for the peace charter.
"What the tool-room stewards are doing is totally against the spirit of this document",
he declared. The shop stewards' mass meeting voted overwhelmingly to put an end to what Mr Robinson described as
"this intolerable position we have reached when individual groups feel they can take action with no regard for its effect on others ".
By 700 votes to three they also agreed that in future no body of shop stewards or members would take unofficial strike action, impose sanctions or interrupt production until the company's official disputes procedure had been exhausted. The only exception would be in cases of victimization. The document called upon management in turn to honour the procedure, including the so called " status quo " clause. The whole union membership in the factory were required to give full support to the works committee in any measures it thought necessary to overcome problems. Mr Robinson said everyone of Longbridge's 20,000 maniual workers would be asked to pledge his individual support at section meetings.

" We, the works committee, intend to see that we get recorded decisions from all the membership. We intend to see that British Leyland continues as a viable producer of mnotor cars."

The day began well when 200 Longbridge tool-setters agreed to end their strike for increased differential payments. It was this strike which caused the Longbridge shutdown. Management had laid off 3,000 other workers including tool-room employees and maintenance workers. On a " one out, all out" basis the remaining toolroom and maintenance men had walked out, leaving the company no alternative but to close the plant and lay off 18,000 workers. Yesterday the maintenance shop stewards agreed to recommend a full return to work, but the 11 tool-room shop stewards refused to do the same. Leyland Cars management said that in the circumstances it would be hopeless to try to resume production. In a statement later it added:

"Management have consistently pointed out that until there is a resumption of full normal working without sanctions, and with all employees honouring their agreements and procedures, it will be pointless' to attempt to restart production at this plant."

Mr Brian Chambers, Birmingham district secretary of the Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers, which represents the toolroom men, said later that he was calling a meeting of the union's district committee today and the shop stewards in dispute would be asked to attend. The district committee, could instruct them. to return to work.
Hopes for an end to the strike at Castle Bromwich collapsed when a meeting of 235 electricians voted to stay out, despite union instructions to return to work. They are in a demarcation dispute with the Transport & General Workers' Union.
At Leyland's Cowley, Oxford, plant 500 night-shift workers last night voted to return to normal working; They endorsed a day-shift decision on Friday not to back 40 men , who are staging stoppages in support of four shop stewards whose facilities were withdrawn by the company because they held unofficial meetings during office hours.