Film and TV Technician (1957)

March 1957 FILM & TV TECHNICIAN 35 EDITORIAL WE SHALL MOVE FORWARD TOGETHER PROBLEMS arising from the rapid and evercontinuing growth of Television, concern over trends toward monopoly in the film industry and a serious preoccupation with the maintenance of the standards of British film production were among the outstanding features of the Annual General Meeting. In particular the debate on TV organisation was noteworthy for a number of reasons. In the first place this was the first A.G.M. at which there was a substantial representation of members working in the Television field and it became evident from the outset that they are determined to see that trade unionism becomes as strong in this field as it is already in the realm of film production. As the President stressed in his opening address, it is certain that in the years ahead there is going to be some shift of emphasis in the work of A.C.T.T. As was natural in a debate on this subject there were criticisms of what has already been done and of some of the things that have not yet been done. But the point that emerged strongly from the discussions was that there are no fundamental differences between our Film and Television members. At bedrock the problems of workers in Television and workers in Film are the same. We are, in fact, all members of one union, we are all working in one big industry, the entertainment industry, and it was generally realised and accepted as a matter of course by all speakers that only in unity can we march forward together. The Television debate will leave the incoming General Council in no doubt whatever of the view of members and should serve materially to strengthen their hands in the work that lies ahead both of organisation and of negotiation for agreements on the Television side of the industry. Our TV members, too, will be in no doubt that in whatever struggles lie before them they can count on the understanding and on the support of their colleagues working in the film studios and the laboratories. The solidarity of members in widely different sections and branches was shown once again when the Meeting came to consider, and to pass with acclaim, an emergency resolution tabled by the General Council reflecting the concern of members in the Laboratories and working on the Newsreels at the growth of monopoly tendencies in the industry. The disappearance of newsreels and the swallowing up of laboratories was most clearly felt to be a matter for continual vigilance for all members of the Union. The General Council will have this question continually in its mind during the coming year. On the question of promoting the highest technical and artistic standards in British film production there was some very lively debate in which it was heartening to hear a number of younger members — younger, that is, in years, though by no means necessarily in period of membership — making important contributions to the discussion. Once again, as there must be in every Annual General Meeting. if it is hot to be clogged by complacency, there were differences of opinion, in this case not so much on objects as on the best methods of achieving them, and in this particular debate the eloquence and sincerity of the movers and supporters of the resolution gave them the distinction of defeating the General Council by a narrow margin. The keynote of the discussions throughout the A.G.M. as a whole was the determination of all members, whatever differences of view there might be between them on individual points, to go forward in 1957 to consolidate and strengthen the Union's position in every field and to protect the living standards of the workers in the industry against any attacks whether by individual employers or groups of employers, or arising from legislation by the Government itself. FILM & TV TECHNICIAN Editor: MARTIN CHISHOLM Editorial Office: 2 SOHO SQUARE, W.l (GERrard 8506) Advertisement Office: 5 & 6 RED LION SQ., W.C.I (HOLborn 4972)