Film and TV Technician (1957)

272 FILM & TV TECHNICIAN May 1958 LABORATORIES* STORY (Continued) body with whom to negotiate. By then, owing to the war, we were also wanting a cost of living bonus. We had already got one for studio members and took the employers to arbitration to seek a similar one for laboratory workers. This brought the employers together in self-defence. We got the bonus, but, what was equally important, we got a new Employers' Federation. After preliminary delays the two negotiating bodies reached agreement which it was recommended, when signed, should operate from February 1st, 1945. The main body of the employers, however, refused to endorse the work of their committee in certain vital respects, namely half-adozen or so wage rates and the provisions for a guaranteed day with payment of overtime for all hours worked before 8 a.m. or after 7 p.m. We offered to refer the two outstanding points to arbitration, but if the employers insisted in their obstinacy, to impose an official overtime ban in every section of the industry. Would not Budge The employers would not budge and the ban came into operation on May 4th, 1945. The only exceptions were the Kays Group of laboratories who were outside the Federation and readily agreed to sign the agreement as negotiated. One company, Humphries Laboratories, attempted to break the ban by dismissing the employees who refused to work overtime. Twenty-five members were locked out. Those remaining at the firm were the only A.C.T. members who ignored the overtime ban instructions. Dispute benefit was paid to the victimised members and the rest of A.C.T. imposed a boycott of the company. They refused to handle work to be sent to or from that laboratory. Eventually, the dispute was referred to the National Arbitration Tribunal which awarded completely in favour of the Union retrospectively to February 1st, 1945, the date originally agnni with the employers. Meanwhile, the pressure on Humphries had been felt and no sooner had the award come to hand than Mr. Terraneau agreed to reinstate the locked-out members, pay them bheir wages and cost of living bonus for the fourteen weeks of the lockout together with all the increases due under the award. The Arbitration Award provided for: 1. A IfJf-hour week in Newsreel Laboratories. 2. Overtime payment for all hours worked before 8 a.m. dud after 7 p.m. wage packets containing wage increases for the previous six months or more. The dispute was the greatest trial our membership had gone through to that date and we came out of it with flying colours. For the first time, the laboratory In the case of an Improver who returns to a particular department after employment in some other department previous service in that particular department shall be taken into full account in computing the six months sen. ice necessary for promotion to a graded employee. In the csent of an Improver who has become a graded employee but has not served his full three years service as an Improver he may in the event of his changing his emplovment, return to the Improver class it his employment is in a different department from that in which he qualified as a gr„ded employee. the ratio "I employment of Improvers and Newcomers to Graded Employees shall not exceed 1 : 10 in the case of Associates employing 25 Graded employees or more, and 1 : 5 in the case of Associates employing less than 25 Graded employees. For and mi Kh.ilf of Film Production Employers' Fmh.katiok, (Signed) R. NORTON, Chairman of the Executive Committee. P. KIMBERLEY, Member of the Executive Committee. R. TERRANEAU, Member of the Executive Committee. M. NEVILLE KEARNEY, lion. Secretary. Foi and on behalf of The Association' or Cine-Technicians, (Signed) ANTHONY ASQUITH, President. H. CRAIK. Chairman of the Laboratory Section. RALPH BOND, Member of the Executive Committee. GEORGE H. ELVIN, General Secretary. 11 llic Signature Page of the first Laboratory Agreement 3. Time and a half for nightwork. If. E(jual pail fur equal work. 5. Rates for 17 new grades. 6. Wage increases ranging from 13/ to £2 tOs. "</. per week. The award was made on August 9th, 1945, which meant laboratory workers, when paid out, took home workers had a decent wage packet and decent working conditions, obtained solely by sticking together as members of a trade union with the help of their fellow members in Studios, Newsreels. and Shorts. I am sun' everyone would wish to pay tribute to Eric Pask, the shop steward and those twenty-five members who held the fort at