The Cine Technician (1953-1956)

44 CINE TECHNICIAN March 1956 Organiser's Page CONDITIONS IN TELEVISION SHEPPERTON STUDIOS. While we are recruiting strength within the TV field the general fight for conditions is being maintained by our members working at studio level. For example, Associated Rediffusion wished to carry cut certain electronic tests at Shepperton and submitted a crew which was not acceptable to the local shop. After consultation with Rediffusion's Film Adviser it was suggested to the company that the technicians employed by their subsidiary film company, Future Films, could quite well proceed with these tests, allowing, of course, for the installing engineers to be present, this the Company refused to accept. Arising from meetings at local level Rediffusion were approached and Head Office officials together with Charlie Wheeler met at Television House and proved conclusively to the management that the technicians at Shepperton were quite qualified to conduct the tests, but curiously enough when it was agreed to bring in three Camera Control Unit operators and A.C.T. informed the Company that full B.F.P.A. rates and conditions would have to apply as they were entering the studio, the tests were concelled as Rediffusion would not agree to this. PINEWOOD AND A.B.P. ELSTREE have also been carrying on the fight for recognition by refusing to allow television units to enter these studios unless they worked under the appropriate studio agreement. TRAVELLING EXPENSES. The General Secretary and Ralph Bond, who were A.C.T.'s delegates to the T.U.C. 1954 Annual Conference, moved a resolution at the Conference which was carried, claiming that workers' travelling expenses should be deducted for income tax purposes. They had been instructed to do this by the membership at the A.G.M. of the same year. Travelling expenses to technicians employed in this industry are a very heavy burden and should be considered as part of the cost of living. The T.U.C. General Council, instead of carrying out the By MIDDY mandate of Congress, took it upon themselves to declare that the resolution was not a practical proposition. The same delegates this year sucessfully moved the reference back of the report wherein it was indicated the T.U.C. General Council had refused to act on the resolution that had been moved and carried by Congress. We still have to await the outcome, but at least the T.U.C. General Council have been instructed to proceed with the resolution moved at Congress. This incident proves the value of affiliation to the T.U.C. and the power of a small union not only to bring forward resolutions, but to see they are implemented. WTITH the death, at the age of 72, " of Ernest Harvey Harrison we have lost another link with the pioneers of the industry. Ernest Harvey Harrison, father of Harvey Harrison, cameraman at present with Ace Films, was a close colleague of Friese Green and carried out the first experiments in colour. COMMERCIAL TELEVISION. After steady recruitment at Wembley this studio now has a full A.C.T. Committee and a Shop Steward. The same applies to the new Programme Contractor, A.B.P.C, whose members quickly agreed to join A.C.T. and a Unit Shop has been formed. The Granada Group has also been contacted and recruitment is proceeding satisfactorily. This expansion should revitalise our Manchester Branch as a lot of these technicians will be proceeding to Manchester in April and May. The spate in recruitment at Wembley was due to very quick action by A.C.T. in obtaining from Associated Rediffusion a payment of overtime for sound technicians employed on a weekly basis. These claims were back-dated to January 1st, also individual cases that have arisen have been dealt with to the satisfaction of the people concerned. Shorts and Documentary (Continued) I give you in his own words : "As Collector as well as Steward at Nascreno House, Soho Square, I have long been saddened by the number of Labour supporters who do not pay their political levy of 2d. a week. Imagine my surprise and pleasure when one member, who had contracted out of paying some while ago, told me that to mark the 50th anniversary of the Parliamentary Labour Party he had decided to pay his 2d. a week again. " I took the money, and phoned up George Elvin to find out what the procedure was over a member who had contracted out. George told me that the Trade Union Act was silent about the matter, and the case was unique in A.C.T.'s history. He advised the member to drop a note to Records Department, so that everything should be properly recorded. " Our modest little shop at Nascreno House has started things before now — the idea for a trade union label for all films came through us — so let us hope that 1 laying the Political Levy in greater numbers will be another idea that catches on. The money will help get a Government that will put a stop to the constantly rising cost of living."