The Cine Technician (1953-1956)

Ki.S CINE TECHNICIAN November 1956 Lab Topics DERMATITIS— TV NEWS PROCESSING —WOMEN MEMBERS ACTIVE The Lab Committee are now collecting information on dermatitis from all shops in an endeavour to ascertain the most effective and desirable safeguards and methods of prevention, with a view to future discussions with the F.L.A. for incorporating these methods in all Labs as a minimum of standards required. Our members at Olympic Labs are still without a recognised set of conditions covering week-end TV News processing. Meetings between ourselves and the management are still taking place and it is to be hoped that a satisfactory result may be available for the December issue of this journal. All members working at this Laboratory are reminded that the whole union supports them on this issue and the General Council are hoping for an early reasonable settlement. Technicolor The Technicolor Management have been notified of the lifting of the overtime ban, imposed by the General Council following the redundancy problem at this Lab. It is also pleasing to note that much of the strained feeling existing between management and worker at this Laboratory is fast slackening off, both sides recognising that the solution of their respective problems is of joint interest. It is very encouraging to some of the older members of the Laboratories Section to find that our lady members are giving more and more of their time to the activities of A.C.T.T. Only recently two of the three members to attend a week-end T.U.C. course on Women's place in the Trade Union Movement came from the Laboratories. They were Daphne Le Brun, our committee minutes secretary, and Monica Toye, our very able shop stewardess at the Rank Laboratories, Denham. The Executive have now nominated Monica, along with Elizabeth Wallis from the Shorts Section, to represent A.C.T.T. at the Women's T.U.C. to be held in Hastings next April. The Convenor of the Technicolor trade unions, Bro. Ray Sharpe, reports the following activities of his shop committee and members: On Monday, October 22nd, the shop committee met and entertained three Russian film technicians from whom they learned — Edited by — A If Cooper much of the ways of the film industry laboratory life in that country. It was a very pleasant evening and our guests were very friendly, well-informed and competent technicians. Their appreciation of our technical skills and willingness to admit such was very pleasing to all present, but they gave us to understand that they in their own country are not just sitting around, but working very hard indeed to bring their standards of knowledge and skill quickly up alongside that of our and other countries' film industries. At the end of the meeting two members of the party were presented with Ronson lighters to remind them of their visit to our shop when they are back in their own country. The third member of the party was handed an A.C.T.T. badge, the property of the Branch Chairman. In spite of present world troubles and threats of war, many of us firmly believe that more and more informal meetings of workers from different countries in (ill parts of the world can do much to foster friendship and thus, ultimately, lasting peace for us all. The Technicolor shop has this month affiliated to the Hayes and Southall Trades Council and elected six delegates to attend. Already the shop has moved a resolution asking the Council to demand adequate and proper senior grade education for partially deaf children within the Middlesex County instead of forcing such children to enter boarding schools in many cases miles from their homes and thus denying them something which is of paramount importance to them, namely, home environment and background, something which incidentally the Middlesex County Council waxed so strongly about when, a short while ago, they were pursuing their policy of closing day nurseries and stressed the great importance of home environment for children. A very large number of members signed a petition which was sent to the Prime Minister supporting the Labour Party, T.U.C. and Co-operative Society Political Section in their fight against the Government's policy on Suez. Many broadsheets printed by the Cooperative Society headed " Law not War " have been handed out by members. At the time of writing, collecting lists are going round to all members of this shop with a view to sending a large donation to the International Red Cross Fund for the relief of Hungarians in their present troubles. Under the chairmanship of Mike Byrne, Technicolor Sports and Social Club are holding a New Year Dance at Seymour Hall on Saturday, January 5th, 1957. Dancing will be to the music of Eric Winstone's Orchestra. Tickets 6/ each. The T.S.S.C. cordially invite all our Lab, Studio, Shorts and Newsreel friends and brothers to come along and make this a night to remember. Tickets can be obtained from Mike Byrne, c/o Technicolor Ltd., Bath Road, Harmondsworth. MIDDY t Continm </i the Sparrow's comments but informed the centipede that he could turn himself into a four-legged animal and, therefore, lose 75'; of llie pain. The centipede enquired how this could be done, and the wise old Owl's reply was, " Don't ask me old chap. I'm only the policy maker ".