The Cine Technician (1953-1956)

November, 1953 THE CINE-TECHNICIAN 151 don't fight, as may be thought, but rub along together as the best of pals without, as in some places we know of, keeping on bashing the respective merits of their respective initials of identification. This being so, you must bear with me when I say that Bro. Bryn Thomas, who organised a do to cope with the tastes of such people, may be A.C.T. or may be A.E.U., I don't know, and having seen the T.U. spirit in the Tool Room, I don't care. These lads' idea of real fun is a Gipsy Gathering, which on the last occasion took place at the Robinson Crusoe Camp, Finchamstead, on Saturday, 26th September. They all arrived dressed in the traditional types of gipsy costumes and having listened to the gipsy's warning, chose a day that had glorious weather. The main highlights of the day were as follows: Lunch a la Bonfire, a really super meal of sausages and mash eaten with sticks, fingers and what have you. A comic cricket match, in which the umpire, Bob Simpson, found himself out quite frequently in a Top: Technicolor's ' Gipsy Gathering.' Above: Jack Cod and Dennis Corby. bonfire which was also out because at that time it was unlit. A Tug-of-War which was laid on in the very best way possible geographically, that is, the whole of the tug took place over the local cows' Trade Marks. Next came a really fine tea. This menu being a gipsy secret, it cannot be printed here. The evening was held indoors in the club house and among its many attractions was a Melodrama, a Ballet and a Physical Training Display with an all-gipsy cast. A wonderful time was had by all, as I think these photos by Bro. Paul Caudwell show. FEATURE MEMBERS— Continued personal salaries. It is clear from the returns that many of the rates in the Agreement are out of all proportion to the actual rates being paid by Producers and the first point of application to the B.F.P.A. will be to adjust present minimum salaries in order to make them realistic. We realise that this by itself will lead to little improvement in the earnings of our members but we think it farcical to continue the position whereby probably not a single member in some grades is paid the minimum rate laid down. Therefore, we are submitting revised minimums to bring them in line with the acttial minimums observed in practice. Secondly, we shall press the B.F.P.A. to reopen the question of overtime ceilings which they promised to do when the 18/4 settlement was reached in April 1952, but which they declined to consider further when the additional 11/ was negotiated in November of that year. We therefore propose that the overtime ceiling shall be raised in order to cover the bulk of our members. We also want to tackle the question of casual employment in order to keep it down to the absolute minimum and specifically, therefore, we intend to propose a substantial increase in the remuneration of technicians employed on a daily basis. Finally, we are going forward for an overall increase. The Government's Index of Retail Prices shows an increase of 40 per cent in the cost of living since 1947 when the Agreement was signed, that is an increase of 8/ in the pound. On the grounds of equity, therefore, there is every reason why we could press for a 40 per cent increase, less, of course, an allowance made for the small increases paid in 1952. Certainly a 33?s per cent increase for which we shall go forward is clearly justified. It is quite clear, too, that the Producers are more able to meet such proposals today than they might have claimed to have been on some occasions in the past. Such figures as are available, particularly the Annual Report of the National Film Finance Corporation, show that a considerable economy in production costs has been achieved largely at the expense of the technicians, and the British Film Production Fund, which is now assured of continuance, has been providing £3,000,000 a year additional revenue to Producers. If our claim is met in full it can still be most comfortably met from this source alone while still leaving the Producers very much better off than before the introduction of the Eady levy. In many ways our application will be a test of the ability of the J.I.C. to look after the interests of the technicians and we hope that on this ground as well as what is right and proper the justice of our case will be admitted and that an acceptable settlement will be speedily negotiated.