When he read of the decision of the Rolls-Royce Board in Derby, the Scottish General Manager was stunned. It said, ‘Close down the works. Store the equipment. Sack the workforce.’ Throughout World War ll, William Miller had been with the Government’s aero-engine ‘shadow factory’ in Glasgow, managed by Rolls-Royce. They had produced 25,000 Merlin engines for our Hurricanes and Spitfires. But the war was over and Rolls-Royce, like many other firms, were going back to their original products.
Miller (or MR in Rolls-Royce circles) tried pleading with the Board but was told ''You have your orders. The Board have decided not to keep one single person in Scotland. Get on with it, then come to Derby as Chief Quality Engineer for the whole group.' ''lt was a plum job for me, '' says MR ''but what about all the others? l was proud of that workforce. They had done a marvellous job. We couldn't just dump 16,000 men, many of them middle-aged. There were already tens of thousands of Clydesiders without a job.'
Miller carefully devised a plan to retain 1800 men in two of the 14 factory blocks, and presented it to Derby. 'Miller, over my dead body' said the Managing Director, you're wasting your time.' And so said the other directors. But MR wouldn't give up. He went to London and persuaded the Director of Aero-Engine Production at the Air Ministry to offer Derby some extra work if it could be done in Glasgow.
When he next met the new MD, Lord Hives, Miller said, ‘Can I put another plan in your case? It's a bit more ambitious (3,000 men in four blocks) but more economical.’ Hives exploded, but three weeks later he came to Glasgow. 'We're beginning to think it might work,' he said, 'But it had better be successful – otherwise there'll be trouble.' A third plan was finally accepted – 4,200 men were to be employed in six blocks, servicing piston engines. It was a massive job re-equipping the factories, transferring plant from the Ministry to RR and recruiting personnel. Fortunately MR had quietly kept a full record of all the men who had been sacked – just in case!
Two years later the Korean War altered all the military calculations. The Government asked Rolls-Royce to re-equip the RAF with Avon axial-flow jet engines. Miller responded to the challenge of new technology. The Scottish personnel was doubled. Extra factories were taken over in Blantyre and Larkhall. Sir Patrick Dolan, the former Lord Provost of Glasgow and by now Chairman of the East Kilbride New Town, offered a factory site. ‘But what about housing?’ asked MR. 'I'll build you 1,000 houses in 12 months,’ replied Dolan. And he did – and supplied two million extra gallons of water per week for the test-beds, with the support of local authorities and the Secretary of State for Scotland.
When Bill Miller retired in 1964 there were some 15,000 personnel working in six separate factories. For the next three years he stayed on as Chairman of Rolls-Royce in Scotland.
William Miller was born in Cheshire and educated in George Heriot's School in Edinburgh. After graduating in engineering from Edinburgh University, and a spell in the Army during World War 1, he gained a Graduate apprenticeship in Daimlers and rose to be chief inspector. Then on to Rootes and De Haviland. In 1939 he became the Chief Quality Engineer with RR aero-division in Glasgow. There is no doubt that Rolls-Royce's success in an area where traditional industries were fast disappearing, encouraged many other firms to come North. AlI credit then to this distinguished engineer whose foresight and moral toughness did so much to reverse the flow of jobs and investment during those vital years.
But in spite of his efforts, MR was given a rough ride at times. ln the post-war years the factory became a well known centre for militancy on Clydeside. Little did the workforce realise that this modest, fatherly man who walked through different departments each morning on the way to his office, stopping to chat with many of the men, had repeatedly risked his neck on their behalf by defying the orders of the Board. But for his courage, none of them would be working there at all.
One development in the 50s typified MR’s unusual concern for people. He was aware that, in spite of good working conditions and pay, there was a high rate of absenteeism and a deep personal bitterness in many of the workers. After seeing and been inspired by a performance of the ‘The Forgotten Factor’ in Glasgow he decided to specially appoint two men with unusual skills (men connected with MRA – Jack Cummock and Arnold Wedgewood) - the capacity to work with people, a trust and a sensitive understanding of human nature. MR asked Jack to investigate the housing situation of the workers. He discovered many families who had given up hope of escaping from deplorable conditions. With his help scores of families were rehoused.
Arnold found out that many who were 'off ill' were really sick with worry about debt. He helped many families budget their finances, frequently negotiating with the moneylenders of Glasgow. The sensitive personal care of those two men and Bill Miller’s management team was noted throughout the factory and proved a major feature in creating a greatly improved morale.
This is 'Rolls-Royce quality, management; when a first-class engineer introduces quality control into human relationships and produces a smooth-running friction-free industrial operation.'
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