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50
THE CINE-TECHNICIAN
July— August, 1044
the points can be answered. " Closed shop " is a fundamental policy of A.C.T. ; and we intend that the next batch of agreements, negotiation of which commences in the autumn, will incorporate it in binding clauses. The doubt about War Emergency Members can be dismissed immediately. Full members, whether serving or not, have precedence over them. This is made quite clear to the War Emergency members when they are accepted. If the industry has room for them, they will be taken into full membership and then strictly on a merit basis. If not, not.
But remember, brothers, that these War Emergency members have their worries too. Says one of them who's in the Army : " Having entered the industry through the service . . . frankly I am not at all happy about our position. On various occasions, I have felt that the A.C.T. would very much like to lose us, but doesn't quite know how to do it." He's not strictly correct of course; we don't want to lose them unless absolutely necessary, but if we do, we do know how to do it! He goes on to urge — " I believe it is against the interests of the industry in general, and the A.C.T. in particular, to enforce any scheme which, whilst not actually fostering the second-best, may on certain occasions protect it."
None of this is grumbling for the sake of grumbling, mind. The Service technicians are alive to the sort of difficulties involved. One particularly sums them up very well. " Generally speaking, the idea that each firm should re-employ its demobilized personnel would not work, since some firms may have declined or even gone out of production in the meantime. On the other hand, there is the point that priority given to any particular class of members might result in a fatal policy of protecting the second-rate. If any members require special attention, surely it is those who though technicians before the war, have not since been working with any of the Service Units and whose skill therefore has suffered through lack of practice and whose contacts with film production have been severed. There is almost general agreement that at least due consideration, if not actual preference, in the allocation of postwar jobs, should be given to those who left their pre-war jobs to go into the Services. We are afraid that if some control is not exercised in this direction and if there are not enough jobs to go round, then people on the spot will get the jobs which are going while the man who is still waiting for his demobilization papers — which may not come for a considerable time after the Cease Fire — will be left out in the sold. What is wanted is some middle course which would be morally just without being impractical] v charitable."
Another points out that "many technicians, like myself, just before the war were on free-lance work, consequently we shall have no employer to
claim us back after hostilities have ceased. Therefore many of us will be looking to the A.C.T Employment Bureau for help." He asks: "Has A.C.T. formed any scheme to deal with the order in which they will nominate members for jobs'. Will they adopt the Government proposal ot release from the Forces on length of service, and whether married or single? "
You will have already noticed, I hope, the fine unselfish way in which many of our contributors regard this problem. They want jobs of course, but they give a thought to the other fellow, and are worried if they envisage newer technicians who've made the grade being turned away fron the industry. We, who are in the Services production units, imagine that we shall have to jostl. for jobs cheek by jowl with all comers, and we an the more anxious because we do not know how long after the cessation of hostilities it will be before we are released from the Services. Mam grades of technicians can start from scratch and become efficient in five years and there are the opportunities offered during this war ; we do naturally, many who have availed themselves of not blame them but we wonder how we are all going to fit in.
It is, therefore, evident that there may be considerable internal strain placed upon the Association of Cine-Technicians in the event of the supply of technicians exceeding the demand and it will be in those days that the Association wll be in its gravest crisis. A faulty step would be liable to lose it much of its goodwill. Nevertheless, if we do not support the Association, we are jettisoning the only mainstay we have, other than our own personal ability."
Some of them attempt to solve this problem in different ways. One says : "There has grown up a band of new personnel, who, as time goes on have become proficient. ... It is suggested a system of grading be arranged, whch should apply to all members of A.C.T., whether Service or otherwise, experience and results being the deciding factors.''
A member in the A.T.S. is very thorough an! methodical. She suggests the following: —
"a) Not to allow new people into the industn until all experienced personnel have found employment.
b) Plan for the re-distribution of workers wl. I have taken the jobs left vacant by tl ■ called-up.
c) Stop people getting into the industrv through influence and not ability.
d) Married women with supporting husbaius should not be allowed to take jobs frOia single girls."
Another member, from A.K.S., is euual.v thorough. He suggests an order of priority i< r employment as follows : —
"1. Technicians who were in the industry pri