Economic Developments: Issues with Trade Unions - British Motor Industries (1976) Flashcards
What were car sales per year by the mid 1970’s in Britain?
1 million a year
How many of these new cars bought by the British were imported?
Half of them
What was the reputation of British-made cars in the 1970’s?
They were poor quality and faulty
Which company made what car to try and reclaim British customers?
British Leyland made the SD1
What had happened to British Leyland in 1975? (1 year prior)
The government spent £1 billion to prevent British Leyland from going bankrupt
What was the significance of the government saving British Leyland?
It showed the governments urgency to maintain a manufacturing presence in Britain
What was a limitation for British Leylands production line? What affected them?
They used 17 different Trade Unions to get parts for cars. Almost everyday, at least one Union was on strike
Give an example related to British Leyland with how the Unions now used their strikes
600 men striked in a car factory as stray cats got in. It got cleaned up but afterwards they striked again complaining that the floor was too wet
What was a limitation of people buying the SD1?
They had to wait 9 months until they could have it
What was the impact of the failure of the SD1?
It likely helped solidify the idea in the British public that foreign cars were better
What is a limitation for British manufacturing industry in terms of someone who left the british manufacturing industry?
George Turnbull went from working at British Leyland to working with Hyundai in South Korea because there were never any strikes there
How efficient were the South Korean workers?
They could produce 25 cars an hour
Why is a manager of British Leyland moving their business to another country a limitation?
Because it shows they had lost faith in the efficiency of productivity and also the endless needs of the Trade Unions
What is another example of poor British car manufacturing that Callaghan experienced?
Callaghan ordered a bullet-proof Rover, but the first time he drove in it and used the electric windows, the pane of glass fell in to his lap
