Film and TV Technician (1957)

44 FILM & TV TECHNICIAN March 1957 General Council in Session PROGRESS IN TV FIELD TELEVISION. P. Leech reported that full Committees were functioning in Associated Rediffusion and Granada, Manchester, and there was an A.C.T.T. Steward in the A.B.C. Studios in Manchester. Our members in I.T.N, have formed a committee and elected a Steward. A shop meeting was held, at which an Organiser was present, and further steps are being taken to organise this company fully. The company is now to be represented on the Programme Contractors' Labour Relations Committee. A well-attended meeting of Production Assistants from three of the four TV Contractors was held. The working conditions of Production Assistants in A.B.C. Television are to be taken up with the company. Negotiations have been held with Associated-Rediffusion on the reopening of Studio 9, and a number of redundant members have been re-engaged. The Organiser was to visit Manchester to attend a joint committee meeting of Granada and A.B.C. Four weekend meetings of the Executive sub-committee to amend the Programme Contractors' Association/A.C.T.T. Agreement have been held, with members from the main companies present. ASSOCIATION OF BROADCASTING STAFFS. A letter has been received from NATKE suggesting an informal meeting between Sir Tom O'Brien, Mr. Frank Haxell of the E.T.U. and the Acting General Secretary to discuss the activities of the A.B.S. in the commercial television field with a view to a joint approach to the General Council of the T.U.C. The Executive agreed that we should take part in these discussions. CINEMA MANAGERS' ASSOCIATION. The Executive Committee agreed that we should be represented on the Committee which this Association proposed should be established with a view to obtaining trade union representation on the All-Industry Tax Committee, and Sidney Cole and Chris Brunei were appointed A.C.T.T.'s representatives. RANK LABORATORIES, BENHAM AND ACTON. The Acting General Secretary reported that he had written to Mr. Harcourt requesting an assurance on the points raised at the last meeting of the General Council and had received a reply giving assurance that there was no intention to transfer personnel from one laboratory to another unless it was the express desire of a particular employee. On the question of possible future redundancy at either laboratory we were assured that the company would consider the matter in the light we mentioned and due notice would be taken of length of service. " SPORTSVIEW ". The Acting General Secretary reported that the General Council's decision regarding the printing of Sportsview had been implemented and as Olympic had not approached us by the deadline date given to them we had advised Kay's Management through the Shop Steward that it was in order for them to print Sportsview if they so wished. SHIFT-WORKING FOR DUBBING STAFFS AT PINEWOOD: A letter from the B.F.P.A. proposed to introduce shift work for dubbing staffs at Pinewood in order to try and avoid excessive overtime which otherwise would be necessary to cope with the volume of work. The B.F.P.A. suggested a meeting with representatives of NATKE and A.C.T.T. in order to discuss detailed proposals. The letter was considered in conjunction with the views of the Pinewood Committee, and it was agreed that the Acting General Secretary should reply, saying that we should be prepared to meet the B.F.P.A. on our own and under the terms of our agreement. SOUND SECTION. The Executive reconsidered the letter from the Sound Section of the 8th October, 1956 itemising various complaints and drafted a reply. In connection with Ail-In Contracts, it was agreed the Section be advised that both the A.S.F.P. and B.F.P.A., together with companies not in membership of these two organisa tions, were written to on this matter last August. It was also agreed that Head Office should send a circular to all Feature and Shorts Shop Stewards, and Section Secretaries, advising them that no member, with the exception of those grades set out in the Feature Agreement who have the right to negotiate an individual contract, should sign contracts at an all-in rate for location work. RANK PRECISION INDUSTRIES (British Acoustic): When the Organiser (P. Leech) appeared at the Works, the Steward, Bro. Langdon, was informed that if he insisted on the Organiser being present the Company would insist that the redundancy issue become one for the Federation of Engineering Employers, and that their representative would have to be present. Because of the pattern set by the employers at Federation level on redundancy, it was felt that to make such an insistence would be unwise at that juncture. Therefore the Organiser and Bro. Langdon suggested to the A.E.U. and Sheet Metal Workers' Stewards an approach to obtain the four-day week; failing satisfaction on this: (i) to find the definite number and the departments involved in the redundancy; i ii i to reduce this number as much as possible; (iii) the principle of last in first out and re-engagement in the the same order; (iv) adequate compensation (bearing in mind our Technicolor experienct ). The Management could not accept a four-day week as the present position could continue for a year, but they accepted the principle of last in first out, and reengagement in the correct order, while refusing to give the exact number of redundancies and the departments concerned. On compensation they refused to give details but refilled to their handling of a previous redundancy, i.e.. after 3 years two weeks' salary, after 5 years one month's, with a month for every 5 years' service above this. Up to 3 years, nothing.