Trade Unions

[Evans Electric]

I think that only sparks aged over 100 will know what I'm blithering about on this one.

When I started work we had to join the union because as well as building sites we went to the Midlands car and engineering factories which were " Closed Shops" ( Union only) If you want to know what they were like watch the old b/w Peter Sellers film " I'm alright Jack" .

I promise you , I heard people say things like " Morning Brother" " Good Morning Comrade"

You would not get through the gates without your union card, some bldg sites too, where you found that all the labourers were "on the lump" . If you don't know what that was watch "Boys From the Black Stuff".

Anyway the the union (ETU) was controlled by communists ( Thats made Cheltenham sit up) There was some sort of court case I think and they were all cleared out. ( I was an apprentice back then and did'nt really care, but looking back it must have been heavy ,man.

Does any one remember any of this ?

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

Sort of vaugley....? :|

I did an apprenticeship with a national private telephone company..

Not BT (or even GPO!) back in the days prior to Break up of telecoms monopoly..

we fitted factory "internal" phone systems/broadcast/fire alarm/paging/clocking systems etc...

worked in many of the Midland factories...

Union membership was just standard accepted part of doing the job!

our company engineers were under the "EEPTU"....

it was the "norm".. can't think of any one who was NOT a union member? :|

this was late 70's era. :|

 

[sirsparkabit]

I got terminated by Eastern Electricity because i refused to join the union. ]

Wish i had now it would of been the best apprentiship i could of got,

of couse you don't think about these things when you are young but i regret it now. :_| :_|

The guy who started the same day as me ended up a top linesman on a good whack, with all benefits that went with it .

Quick turn the clock back i have changed my mind.

 

[Evans Electric]

Ah Sirsparky , a lesson for us all, you can't turn the clock back , if only eh !

Except on those old bangers that Steptoe flogs from his yard down Oil Drum Lane

Deke

 

[steptoe]

oh eh umm,

well where I served my time unions came under a different terminology.

Northern Ireland................

but if you werent in the right one then you didnt work,

maybe you didnt even get to walk to the dole office!