Selling your classic car? It's FREE to list your car on Honest John Classics | No thanks

BL stewards defeated as 14,000 go back

22 April 1980

By Clifford Webb
Midlands Industrial Correspondent

Militant shop stewards at British Leyland suffered another crushing defeat yesterday when mass meetings of workers rejected their recommendations to stay on strike and voted overwhelmingly to return to work.

By this morning nearly 14,000 of the 18,400 strikers will be back on duty. The sudden collapse came after the Transport and General Workers' Union decision to withdraw official backing for walkouts last Thursday against the draft peace terms with BL.
It shows that the union's intervention on April 11 was the deciding factor in the strike's rapid worsening last week.

The great majority of those joining the strike after the first three days were clearly only displaying their loyalty to union policy. But the transport union is still smarting under what many of its officials and members consider to be the desertion of other unions in the face of determined action by Sir Michael Edwardes, the BL chairman. That resentment has been increased by the statement of Mr Mostyn Evans, TGWU general secretary, that his union would still support any members who rejected last Wednesday's peace settlement, which was drawn up by 11 manual unions and the management.

Sixty transport union conveners and senior stewards from BL factories met at the union's Midland headquarters in West Bromwich yesterday under the chairmanship of Mr Brian Mathers, the regional secretary. They passed a resolution condemning the settlement as unrealistic and said they would look to Mr Evan's to carry out his pledge of support if there was a breakdown. To display their anger with other unions they voted to withdraw the transport union's regional automotive group from the Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions' Midland activities.

They will also press for bigger representation on BL Cars' joint negotiating committee, which is to be reorganized under the terms of the settlement. Finally, to strengthen the union's hand in dealing with Midland motor companies, they are to re-establish the transport union's Cars Council for region five, which comprises the 10 Midland counties. It has not functioned for the past seven years. It was set up to provide information for the National Cars Council fostered by Mr Jack Jones, the transport union's former leader.

The main surprise yesterday was the almost unanimous vote for a return to work by 7,000 employees at Rover, Solihull. More than half of them, Land- Rover and Range Rover workers, were among the first to take strike action. it was largely because of their pressure that transport union leaders made the strike official. About 400 shop stewards met before the mass meeting and voted by 395 to 5 to reject the peace terms and continue the strike. But when that was put to the mass meeting it was rejected.

More news from the archive

Tue, 15 Apr 1980
HOME NEWS By Clifford Webb Midlands Industrial Correspondent Managing directors from all BL Cars subsidiaries met at Oxford yesterday...
Wed, 16 Apr 1980
The gulf between British Leyland and the Transport and General Workers' Union to which most of the 17,000 men on strike at company...
Thu, 17 Apr 1980
BL yesterday threatened 18,500 strikers with dismissal unless they resume work by next Wednesday. The move puts Sir Michael Edwardes,...
Fri, 18 Apr 1980
By Donald Macintyre Labour Reporter The Transport and General Workers' Union is recommending its 18000 striking BL members to return...
Sat, 19 Apr 1980
HOME NEWS By Clifford Webb Midlands Industrial Correspondent BL management will have to wait until Tuesday to learn whether 18.000...
Wed, 23 Apr 1980
HOME NEWS By Clifford Webb Midlands Industrial Correspondent British Leyland management's determination to push ahead with controversial...
Thu, 24 Apr 1980
About 3,000 of the 6500 Jaguar workers originally joined the strike by 18,500 BL employees protesting at the imposition of the company's...
Fri, 25 Apr 1980
THE GUARDIAN The dispute that halted production at British Leylant's Longbridge plant at Birmingham and led to 7,000 men being laid...
Sat, 26 Apr 1980
By Clifford Webb Midlands Industrial Correspondent The management of Jaguar is meeting 50 shop stewards today to try to settle a strike...
Wed, 30 Apr 1980
By Clifford Webb The remaining opposition to BL management's imposition of its pay and conditions package crumbled yesterday when...
 

Compare classic car insurance quotes and buy online. A friendly service offering access to a range of policies and benefits.

Get a quote