The Cine Technician (1943 - 1945)

54 THE CINE-TECHNICIAN Julv — August, 1944 ORGANISER'S NOTEBOOK A.C.T. Benevolent Fund. To those of you who have helped in any way to build up the Benevolent Fund the following letter is an example of how much that help is appreciated : — I cannot find words to express how deeply I was moved by your most generous actions and the time and trouble you have taken in your efforts — I must confess that the very welcome grant has made me feel a little guilty, because with so much trouble I've had to face in the past two years I was beginning to lose faith with everybody, but since my first letter from you, and subsequent letters, I am convinced that there are still at least a few ' human beings ' left in the world, and as this is the first good turn I've had done for me for many a long year, I feel that just thanks are most feeble and inadequate for the good you have done, not only from a monetary point of view, but you've bucked me up tremendously." Our file of such letters makes us realise the great need among those of our members who fall upon bad times. Marriage Bar. Trade Unionism will never acquire the power and influence it deserves until it has won over to its ranks and its way of thinking our great industrial army of women. It will never do this if it discriminates against them. The tendency against certain working-class organisations to favour the withdrawal of women from industry directly they marry pre-supposes that on marriage a woman should by right be confined to home life and smacks strongly of the Turkish harems. We, of course, understand the reason behind it, but is the figure of married women who wish to remain at work in peace time so great that it will affect the livelihood of the average man? Without statistics to guide us we hazard a guess that it is not. Surely the correct way to deal with this problem is not to try and make a right out of two wrongs, but to view the matter in its true perspective. To begin with, a trade union is failing in its duty if it presupposes that there will always be a colossal unemployment figure in this country during times of peace. It is up to the unions to see that the unemployment problem is solved in the only way that it can be solved — through Socialism. In the meantime don't let us endanger freedom by discrimination between the sexes. There can be no freedom without equality. The trade unions and the Socialist movement must continuously have in their mind's eye this equality of the sexes in all decisions the\ make. Unless they do so, that large army of women workers will never join the trade unions in sufficient numbers to give us the democratic thought and power needed to achieve the freedom we so desire — freedom from want. The Five Day Week. In this time of war with the immense strain on every working man and woman the idea of a five-day week seems Utopian. In the film industry for example, the six-daj week has more or less established itselt. Then wt have Home Guard and fire-watching duties thrown in for good measure. The British worker, and we include all thosi men and women who are temporarily in the Fighting Forces, however, has stuck doggedly to his task knowing how much depends on it. This combined strain of working under pressure and for long hours is burning indelibly into tin people's minds the determination that things musl be different after the war. They will want to see an advance on whal obtained prior to 1939. And here will loom largeh ; the question of the five-day week. There are tw< main reasons which few will dispute in favour c the five-day week. In the first place it will east the unemployment problem ; there were too mam instances before the war in our own industry when workers were doing excessive overtime while their fellow technicians were on the dole. Secondly, r is time the working man, the backbone of thi country enjoyed a measure of leisure compatibli with that of the middle and upper classes. This w ill never come to pass unless the working class do something about it Inevitably of course, the issue will be decided" between the trade unions and the employers' associations. Consequently, the unions should be looking ahead and be paying careful attention to an; agreements negotiated in the future. Servicemen — How to Get Your Vote. " It is important to get your name on the new Voters' Register," says a message from the Labour Party to men and women in the Forces. This is how t do it I Ask at vour unit or ship for a declaration card (Army Form B2626, Navy Form S1300 IV or B.A.F. Form 2040). The declaration card should be filled in witii ful! name, rank and the number and lull pos address of the house where you would lie living if you were not in the Forces. An attesting officer will add his signature. If you are abroad or likely to go overseas, yo I can obtain a proxy vote by filling in Part 2 on the back of tlie card. This entails giving the address of an adult British subject in the constituency win") will vote on your behalf. Whether you have appointed a proxy or not.