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Jonmac=E2=80=99s long reply.
Dean,=20
Thank you for your kind words and I=E2=80=99m glad you found the story of in=
terest. I hope you don=E2=80=99t mind but I=E2=80=99ve copied this reply to t=
he rest of the list as your query touches on one of many similar issues that=
people periodically ask me to comment on. Hopefully this wider reply might s=
olve a few other related/unrelated queries.
In the overall production process, where badges or odd bits of trim actually=
got fitted was not necessarily a constant in terms of actual location. To a=
certain extent, it all depended on the availability of =E2=80=98qualified=E2=
=80=99 labour to do a certain task. The UK in the sixties, seventies, eighti=
es was hidebound by the power of trade union control. Within the overall mot=
or industry, there was a mass of different unions and union membership was m=
andatory if you were one of many fishes in a large pool where things were ma=
de. Union names that spring to mind are Transport & General Workers, Nationa=
l Union of Vehicle Bodybuilders, General Municipal and Boilermakers, Nationa=
l Union of Teachers, British Electrical, Associated Union Engineering Worker=
s - and many more. All of those were authorised by common and mutual agreeme=
nt to undertake certain tasks within the production process. One way and ano=
ther, we had enough people belonging to different unions who, by working tog=
ether, could somehow contrive to build a complete car.
Re the figment of your badge and letters.
Fred Bloggs who is an NUVB member is paid to fit badges and certain brightwo=
rk - and that=E2=80=99s all! One day, Fred isn=E2=80=99t at work because the=
night before, he spent most of his wages in the pub, went home piddled out o=
f his head and woke up the next morning with the mother of all hangovers, so=
decided to stay in bed and Mrs Bloggs called the factory to say he was ill.=
But because Fred is one of only two NUVB members on his workstation where c=
ertain badges and brightwork are fitted, his mate has to do Fred=E2=80=99s w=
ork as well as his own. As every single assembly task is time measured anywa=
y and piecework pay rates have been abandoned in favour of Measured Day Rate=
, the NUVB foreman negotiates with other union foremen to run the track slow=
er so Fred=E2=80=99s mate can do both jobs without getting stressed out. To u=
s, the obvious remedy is to get a member of another union to do Fred=E2=80=99=
s work.=20
But you can=E2=80=99t do that. Against union rules. Only NUVB members can do=
Fred=E2=80=99s work and if there aren=E2=80=99t enough NUVB members on hand=
, then tough titty. Run the track slower. End of story. It=E2=80=99s amazing=
we ever managed to make anything at all.
In my days as an Apprentice at Jaguar, I was working on the track one day wh=
en I noticed the main plug to a headlamp was dangling in the bodywork and so=
I put it back and ensured it was firmly fitted - but I got seen by a Shop S=
teward who immediately stopped the line because a non unionised Apprentice w=
as =E2=80=9Cdoing the work that should only be done by a member of British E=
lectrical - and no-one else=E2=80=9D. The track stopped for over thirty minu=
tes, and boy, did I get bawled out! And that=E2=80=99s how bad it was. If yo=
u weren=E2=80=99t in a union, you NEVER used your initiative to sort a probl=
em if you saw one happening or likely to happen. You looked for a man in a w=
hite overall with a blue or red collar and told him instead.
So back to the question of who and where were badges fitted?=20
Answer, by anyone within the relevant union who happened to notice items wer=
e missing. Missing badges and Triumph letters got fitted somewhere, somehow b=
ut not necessarily in the location where they *should* be fitted and if the c=
ar reached the end of the line without them, a red SHORTAGES label got slapp=
ed on the screen and a handwritten note was made on the production tally and=
shortage list. Somehow, the system seemed to work - sort of - but it was ti=
me-consuming, wasteful, inefficient and an absolute effing nuisance.
And because of those practises, that goes a long way to explaining why all t=
he UK car manufacturers of substance today are owned by foreign companies. S=
ame goes almost for our former motorcycle industry, shipbuilding, aircraft, m=
ining and a raft of everything else. The power of the unions and management h=
ierarchies who were terrified of confrontation, caved in and we threw it all=
away.
JM
> On 11 Mar 2026, at 13:21, Dean Tetterton <tr3a58dean@gmail.com> wrote:
>=20
> John
> Thanks for the great article. It sure opens my eyes about the com=
plexity of building so many different
> varieties of the "same car". I have scanned a lot of images that are in th=
e VTR Mike Cook archives and have a
> nice collection of production line images. The ones I have of TR4's being b=
uilt show that the TR4 emblem on the
> boot lid must have been installed near the end of production. I have attac=
hed a few of them and go from the
> rocket room to tops being installed. None have an emblem on the boot. Is t=
hat because some were sent out
> with different one's or none?=20
>=20
> I really enjoy your articles.
>=20
> Dean Tetterton
> tr3a58dean@gmail.com
>=20
> =20
>=20
>> On Wed, Mar 11, 2026 at 8:11=E2=80=AFAM JOHN MACARTNEY <johnbmacartney@gm=
x.com> wrote:
>> This is a long one but hopefully opens a few 'new doors' to walk through?=
Enjoy!
>> =20
>> Jonmac
>> ** triumphs@autox.team.net **
>>=20
>> Donate: http://www.team.net/donate.html
>> Archive: http://www.team.net/pipermail/triumphs http://www.team.net/arch=
ive
>>=20
>> Unsubscribe/Manage: http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/triumphs/tr3a58=
dean@gmail.com
> <IMG_20250605_0003.jpg>
> <IMG_20250605_0004.jpg>
> <IMG_20250605_0005.jpg>
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<html><head><meta http-equiv=3D"content-type" content=3D"text/html; charset=3D=
utf-8"></head><body dir=3D"auto"><div dir=3D"ltr"></div><div dir=3D"ltr">Jon=
mac=E2=80=99s long reply.</div><div dir=3D"ltr"><br></div><div dir=3D"ltr">D=
ean, </div><div dir=3D"ltr"><br></div><div dir=3D"ltr">Thank you for yo=
ur kind words and I=E2=80=99m glad you found the story of interest. I hope y=
ou don=E2=80=99t mind but I=E2=80=99ve copied this reply to the rest of the l=
ist as your query touches on one of many similar issues that people periodic=
ally ask me to comment on. Hopefully this wider reply might solve a few othe=
r related/unrelated queries.</div><div dir=3D"ltr">In the overall production=
process, where badges or odd bits of trim actually got fitted was not neces=
sarily a constant in terms of actual location. To a certain extent, it all d=
epended on the availability of =E2=80=98qualified=E2=80=99 labour to do a ce=
rtain task. The UK in the sixties, seventies, eighties was hidebound by the p=
ower of trade union control. Within the overall motor industry, there was a m=
ass of different unions and union membership was mandatory if you were one o=
f many fishes in a large pool where things were made. Union names that sprin=
g to mind are Transport & General Workers, National Union of Vehicle Bod=
ybuilders, General Municipal and Boilermakers, National Union of Teachers, B=
ritish Electrical, Associated Union Engineering Workers - and many more. All=
of those were authorised by common and mutual agreement to undertake certai=
n tasks within the production process. One way and another, we had enough pe=
ople belonging to different unions who, by working together, could somehow c=
ontrive to build a complete car.</div><div dir=3D"ltr">Re the figment of you=
r badge and letters.</div><div dir=3D"ltr">Fred Bloggs who is an NUVB member=
is paid to fit badges and certain brightwork - and that=E2=80=99s all! One d=
ay, Fred isn=E2=80=99t at work because the night before, he spent most of hi=
s wages in the pub, went home piddled out of his head and woke up the next m=
orning with the mother of all hangovers, so decided to stay in bed and Mrs B=
loggs called the factory to say he was ill. But because Fred is one of only t=
wo NUVB members on his workstation where certain badges and brightwork are f=
itted, his mate has to do Fred=E2=80=99s work as well as his own. As every s=
ingle assembly task is time measured anyway and piecework pay rates have bee=
n abandoned in favour of Measured Day Rate, the NUVB foreman negotiates with=
other union foremen to run the track slower so Fred=E2=80=99s mate can do b=
oth jobs without getting stressed out. To us, the obvious remedy is to get a=
member of another union to do Fred=E2=80=99s work. </div><div dir=3D"l=
tr">But you can=E2=80=99t do that. Against union rules. Only NUVB members ca=
n do Fred=E2=80=99s work and if there aren=E2=80=99t enough NUVB members on h=
and, then tough titty. Run the track slower. End of story. It=E2=80=99s amaz=
ing we ever managed to make anything at all.</div><div dir=3D"ltr">In my day=
s as an Apprentice at Jaguar, I was working on the track one day when I noti=
ced the main plug to a headlamp was dangling in the bodywork and so I put it=
back and ensured it was firmly fitted - but I got seen by a Shop Steward wh=
o immediately stopped the line because a non unionised Apprentice was =E2=80=
=9Cdoing the work that should only be done by a member of British Electrical=
- and no-one else=E2=80=9D. The track stopped for over thirty minutes, and b=
oy, did I get bawled out! And that=E2=80=99s how bad it was. If you weren=E2=
=80=99t in a union, you NEVER used your initiative to sort a problem if you s=
aw one happening or likely to happen. You looked for a man in a white overal=
l with a blue or red collar and told him instead.</div><div dir=3D"ltr">So b=
ack to the question of who and where were badges fitted? </div><div dir=
=3D"ltr">Answer, by anyone within the relevant union who happened to notice i=
tems were missing. Missing badges and Triumph letters got fitted somewhere, s=
omehow but not necessarily in the location where they *should* be fitted and=
if the car reached the end of the line without them, a red SHORTAGES label g=
ot slapped on the screen and a handwritten note was made on the production t=
ally and shortage list. Somehow, the system seemed to work - sort of - but i=
t was time-consuming, wasteful, inefficient and an absolute effing nuisance.=
</div><div dir=3D"ltr">And because of those practises, that goes a long way t=
o explaining why all the UK car manufacturers of substance today are owned b=
y foreign companies. Same goes almost for our former motorcycle industry, sh=
ipbuilding, aircraft, mining and a raft of everything else. The power of the=
unions and management hierarchies who were terrified of confrontation, cave=
d in and we threw it all away.</div><div dir=3D"ltr"><br></div><div dir=3D"l=
tr">JM</div><div dir=3D"ltr"><br>On 11 Mar 2026, at 13:21, Dean Tetterton &l=
t;<a href=3D"mailto:tr3a58dean@gmail.com";>tr3a58dean@gmail.com</a>> wrote=
:<br><br></div><blockquote type=3D"cite"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div dir=3D"ltr">J=
ohn<div> Thanks for the great article. It s=
ure opens my eyes about the complexity of building so many different</div><d=
iv>varieties of the "same car". I have scanned a lot of images that are=
in the VTR Mike Cook archives and have a</div><div>nice collection of produ=
ction line images. The ones I have of TR4's being built show that the TR4 em=
blem on the</div><div>boot lid must have been installed near the end of prod=
uction. I have attached a few of them and go from the</div><div>rocket room t=
o tops being installed. None have an emblem on the boot. Is that because som=
e were sent out</div><div>with different one's or none? </div><div><br>=
</div><div> I really enjoy your arti=
cles.</div><div><br></div><div> Dean Tetter=
ton</div><div> <a href=3D"mailto:tr3a58dea=
n@gmail.com">tr3a58dean@gmail.com</a></div><div><br></div><div> =
</div></div><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote gmail_=
quote_container"><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_attr">On Wed, Mar 11, 2026 a=
t 8:11=E2=80=AFAM JOHN MACARTNEY <<a href=3D"mailto:johnbmacartney@gmx.co=
m">johnbmacartney@gmx.com</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class=3D"gmail=
_quote" style=3D"margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,=
204);padding-left:1ex"><div><div style=3D"font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px=
"><div>This is a long one but hopefully opens a few 'new doors' to walk thro=
ugh? Enjoy!</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Jonmac</div></div></div>** <a href=3D"mailto:triumphs@autox.team.net"; t=
arget=3D"_blank">triumphs@autox.team.net</a> **<br>
<br>
t=3D"_blank">http://www.team.net/donate.html</a><br>
Archive: <a href=3D"http://www.team.net/pipermail/triumphs"; rel=3D"noreferre=
r" target=3D"_blank">http://www.team.net/pipermail/triumphs</a> <a hre=
f=3D"http://www.team.net/archive"; rel=3D"noreferrer" target=3D"_blank">http:=
//www.team.net/archive</a><br>
<br>
s/tr3a58dean@gmail.com" rel=3D"noreferrer" target=3D"_blank">http://autox.te=
am.net/mailman/options/triumphs/tr3a58dean@gmail.com</a><br>
</blockquote></div>
</div></blockquote><blockquote type=3D"cite"><div dir=3D"ltr"><IMG_202506=
05_0003.jpg></div></blockquote><blockquote type=3D"cite"><div dir=3D"ltr"=
><IMG_20250605_0004.jpg></div></blockquote><blockquote type=3D"cite"><=
div dir=3D"ltr"><IMG_20250605_0005.jpg></div></blockquote></body></htm=
l>=
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