World Film and Television Progress (1937-1938)

LAB. WORKERS DEPEND ON OVERTIME — for Living Wage The first of a series of articles describing the hours and working conditions of British Film Technicians, based the F The facts we publish in the following statement on hours and working conditions in film laboratories were supplied by technicians employed in nine different laboratories. Five of these are among the largest in the country and the others include two plants mainly engaged in specialised work for news and colour films. Since the total number of film laboratories in England is only 15, the conditions described can be regarded as fairly representative. They are, if at all, biased in favour of the firms with more satisfactory working conditions, since the majority of those not included are small firms, some of which are greatly below the average standard. Number of shifts worked per day Conditions vary from firm to firm, and in the different departments of the larger units. In the majority of cases reported the department concerned worked only one shift each 24 hours, but frequently the working day commences in the early afternoon and continues into the night on certain days of the week. In cases where two or three shifts are worked (two day shifts and one night shift, or else one day shift and one night shift) there is sometimes a rota according to which technicians work alternate weeks on day or night shifts, but at least in one firm there are also permanent night workers. The working period is subject to the greatest fluctuations in laboratories engaged in newsreel work, as the following sample week shows : Monday 2 p.m. to 11 p.m. Tuesday 6 p.m. to 12, or in case of a rush 6 a.m. Wednesday 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. Thursday 6 p.m. to midnight. Friday 2 p.m. to 11 p.m. or mid night. Sunday 4 p.m. until work is com pleted either at midnight or even as late as 8 a.m. working hours "Normal" Normal working hours exclusive of overtime vary between 8 and 9 hours per day in different firms, 8^ hours being the most usual arrangement with a "normal" working week of between 44 and 48 hours. In the majority of firms work on Saturday afternoons is the rule for the day staffs. Overtime With the exception of a few firms where little overtime is demanded, this evil is a regular and much abused feature of employment in film laboratories. A total actual working week of 50 to 60 hours is the normal one for many laboratory technicians and the amount worked rises considerably in periods of exceptional rush work. The continual working periods of 30 to 40 hours demanded from technicians engaged on processing the coronation newsreels have received wide publicity in the Press, but while this is clearly an extreme case, long periods of uninterrupted labour under rush conditions are of frequent occurrence in this industry. Sunday work is exceptional in most firms. Overtime payment In the laboratories the whole problem of overtime is indissolubly linked with that of wages. Although the present inquiry excludes this subject, it is essential to note that in this branch of the industry the average rate of wages is so low that in many cases the employees have come to depend on overtime work for a living income. It is known that in one instance a scheme of the management to increase the staff in order to abolish overtime work was opposed by the employees on these grounds. But there are also other cases where overtime is a condition of continued employment. The most usual rates of pay for overtime work are time and a half for the first two hours after the normal working day, and double pay for very late night and Sunday work. But the conditions vary in this respect and in some cases the rates are as low as time and a quarter and time and a half respectively, while there are firms in which a flat wage per week is paid irrespective of overtime. Compensation for short time work The extent to which overtime work has come to be regarded as normal in the industry is shown by the fact that in those cases, where an irregular supply of work enables technicians to leave early on certain occasions, a deduction is made not from the ordinary but from the overtime pay. Holidays The usual practice appears to be a two weeks' holiday with pay, but there are also some cases where only one week is given, while in one instance the technicians receive one week's holiday and an extra week's pay at Christmas in compensation for the second week. In another firm holidays are regarded as a "privilege" instead of a right of the staff. Payment of wages during periods of sickness As a rule the wages of regular employees continue to be paid, when they are ill. In some instances, however, there are time limits for pay at the full rate, only half the wage being paid after a relatively short period. Two recent cases are known where holidays were cancelled in compensation for loss of working time owing to sickness. Air conditioning and sanitary arrangements Since much of the work in laboratories has to be carried out in darkness or semi-darkness the problem of air-conditioning and temperature regulation is of the greatest importance for the health of the employees. Unfortunately conditions vary greatly in this respect even among the larger firms. In one of the latter, we were informed, there is an air-conditioning installation, but it appears to go wrong continually, with the result that the temperature in the processing rooms frequently rises to 80 and 90 degrees, while the atmosphere is vitiated by chemical fumes. Another reply from a firm, otherwise air-conditioned, is: "chemical basement with little ventilation." Cases in which health arrangements are unsatisfactory are unfortunately only too frequent. Breaks in shifts for meals Except in certain cases of night work there are regular breaks for meals in all the laboratories. General features of employment in laboratories The majority of technicians working in laboratories are regularly employed, but mechanisation of standard processes is working a revolution in their status. There is a widespread tendency gradually to replace older men by juvenile labour working automatic machines at greatly reduced pay. 21