The Cine Technician (1953-1956)

December 1956 CINE TECHNICIAN 181 LABS ACCEPT NEW AGREEMENT A SPLENDID turn-out of labora■t* tory members on a drizzly Sunday morning at the Broadway Cinema, Hammersmith, endorsed all the recommendations of the Laboratories Negotiating Committee and General Council for the new agreement. With the President, Anthony Asquith, in the chair, Bert Craik outlined the work A.C.T.T. had been doing since the last Laboratories Agreement, and gave the background to the present negotiations : the bottom, he said, had fallen out of the export market for processing and the industry was no longer in an expanding condition. The Film Laboratory Association would not give a full revision of the Agreement, so A.C.T.T. was forced to prune its demands. What Bert Craik described as " one of the quickest negotiations A.C.T.T. had been tied up in," had resulted in the following settlement : 1. The full cost of living bonus will now be paid to all employees at age eighteen, and two-thirds to those under this age. (This means that members between 18 and 21 will receive an increase of £1 7s. 8d. a week.) 2. The new Index of Retail Prices in connection with the Cost of Living Bonus will be adopted as from January 1957 on the basis of a rise or fall of l/6d. per week for each rise or fall of one point in the Index. 3. The grade of Chemist or Physicist will be written into the Agreement at a minimum rate of £14 Os. Od. for Black and White and £15 Os. Od. per week for Colour Chemists or Physicists plus the wage increase negotiated. 4. A wage increase of 11/ will be paid to all employees irrespective of their earnings whose grades are covered by the Schedules of the Technical, General and Clerical Agreements. This payment to take effect retrospectively from Monday, December 3, 1956. 5. The Agreement will operate for a period of twelve months from date of signature. 6. A sub-committee has been set up to negotiate the terms and conditions under which Assistant Supervisors will be included in both Technical Agreements. These negotiations when concluded will operate retrospectivelv to December 3, 1956. 7. A.C.T.T. has placed on record that if redundancy arises during the period of this agreement then it reserves the right to raise with the F.L.A. the question of the shorter working week. Bert Craik emphasised that it was a settlement under which every member would get an increase; if in a year's time conditions in the laboratories improved, the Union would be free to go forward for a fuller revision of the clauses of the Agreement. But if serious redundancy arose in the meantime A.C.T.T. had the right to raise the question of a shorter working week with the F.L.A. Discussions ranged over such points as the Government's new cost of living index, a shorter working week where round-theclock shifts were worked, further redundancies and the position of chemists and physicists. Sid Bremson (Rank Laboratories, Denham) then moved from the floor the acceptance of the seven points, and this was carried with only two voting against. Alf Thursby, National Films Officer of the Electrical Trades Union, then addressed the meeting, saying that he was sure that if an 11/ wage increase had been given in the engineering industry it would have been accepted immediately without question. He himself had always had very good relations with A.C.T.T. in the laboratories and studios, and he was sure that when he retired next year A.C.T.T. would continue to get every co-operation from his successor. After votes of thanks had been passed to the President and to the Laboratories Negotiating Committee, the meeting closed. Obituaries With regret we announce the death of two of our members, Arthur Barnes, Production Manager, and Billy Russell. Arthur Barnes Arthur joined the industry in 1921 as Wardrobe Master with Famous Players Lasky at Islington, worked with Herbert Wilcox. B.I.P., Exclusive, and A.C.T. Films. He was a kindly soul and a good companion. Our sympathy goes to his relatives. Billy Russell Eric Fullilove writes : The curtain has come down for the last time on a grand old trouper. Billy Russell has passed away. We, at Pathe, and his friends in Show Business throughout this country, will miss Old Billy. By describing him thus, we are not disrespectful to his memory, for we shall always remember him that way, with great affection. Billy was a warm-hearted Northerner who, apart from the years he gave to the film industry, had a long and varied career in the world of Variety. He was generous to an almost foolish degree and was the first person to help a friend in need. We think he would have been glad to know that he died in harness. It seems hard to realise that he's gone, when only a few days ago he was actively organising " his unit " in his own inimitable way. We shall miss Billy. GET YOUR NEW BADGE The new A.C.T.T. badges and brooches can be obtained from Head Office. Badges 2/-, brooches 2/4, post free.