A History of the Ministry of Information, 1939-46

241

APPENDIX
RELATIONS BETWEEN WORKERS AND MANAGEMENTS IN SCOTLAND .

(Based on a special report from R.I.O. Scotland).

1. Complaints .

Tales of slackness in war production, of defects of supply, and faults of management are common in the Scottish industrial areas. These tales have their effect on output, and they have an undesirable effect also on public opinion outside the workshops. Complaints, whether justified or not, are seized on and exploited by the disruptive and militant elements.

In one area there is recurring complaint among the workers in four big factories and shipyards and among people outside that “so far as production is concerned, everybody from workers to employers is only “kidding”, - despite the fact that in some of the places concerned the workers are working three nights late and doing a seven-day week.” In the railway shops in another place, there were highly coloured tales a week or two ago about the men playing cards all night. In yet another neighbourhood there is much talk about slack conditions in the Admiralty shipyard.

Information suggests that difficulties as to supply are much exaggerated by local propaganda and gossip. There have been no major holdups in supply of material. In some shipyards, improvement is reported in the last four months.

Prolonged overtime and lack of canteens has, however, worn down many of the workers. In railway workshops, workers who a few months ago had to stand about doing nothing are now switched to different departments. There are, however, complaints that workers are still asked to stay on for night work when there is not enough to do, and that inspectors and foremen in several departments are slack. In some cases the nature of the work demands that a large supply of labour should be on hand for rush jobs; this involves periodical slackness, with large groups doing practically nothing.

2. Management Faults .

It is strongly emphasised by people with first-hand experience of conditions in many shops and yards that delays in production can often be explained by bad management, and that output is good where management is good.

There are numerous scattered examples of faults of management. Some arise where skilled workers object to having their time wasted doing a routine job when they could be doing their own highly skilled work elsewhere. Thus, a worker in an aircraft factory who objected to routine work, was given a week's notice, and instructed to come in every morning and afternoon to sign on until his notice expired. He offered to work the week but was refused. He also offered the information that all round the factory was a notice saying “Every minute counts”.

There are complaints of a certain disinclination on the part of some managers to use Shop Steward machinery for negotiation with the workers on minor points such as a proposed change in working hours. The result in one such instance was a two days' strike.

Trade Union leaders and organisers complain of lack of co-operation on the part of foremen and under-managers.

3. Shop Stewards .

As has previously been noted, some shop stewards are out to make trouble. The natural resentment of foremen and under-managers then tends to play into the hands of the militants. It also leads to hasty and seemingly arrogant action towards shop stewards who are not out to make trouble but are pursuing their proper function. This bad feeling tends also to create resentment among employers against Trade Unions as such, since the employers concerned naturally confuse the Trade Unions themselves with the militant shop stewards.

Trade Unions are taking action against the disruptive elements. For example, the Amalgamated Engineering Union has debarred its shop stewards from attending in their official capacity any unauthorised meeting such as the shop stewards Consultative Conference.

4. Overtime and Transport Difficulties .

Other factors which tend to decrease output and which favour absenteeism and disruptive propaganda are prolonged overtime, and transport difficulties. A particular case is cited where men have lost all interest in their work after a long period of working twelve hours a day. There are great transport difficulties in certain areas, but negotiations are continuing with Corporations and other transport authorities. There are complaints that men arriving late, owing to transport difficulties, are shut out for an hour or even a morning.

5. A Good Example .

Good results from one engineering firm are quoted and some of their principles are set out as follows:-

(1) Each job is planned from the start.

(2) There is regular consultation with shop stewards about the general nature of jobs and about workers' grievances. shop stewards have weekly meetings in firm's time, and on important occasions, the directors join the meeting at a later stage.

(3) Special attention is paid to the welfare of workers by maintenance of good canteens and by helping arrangements with transport.

6. Suggestions .

(1) There is need for a better spirit in the workshops in accordance with “the comradeship of the trenches” of the last war, and for more factories modelled on lines of the engineering shop referred to above.

(2) Co-operation between workers representatives and firms should be extended.

(3) There is need for more special conferences, on lines of Mr. Bevin's Glasgow Conference in December, to explain the meaning of wartime industrial co-operation, and to deal also with discipline, use of shop steward machinery and canteen and general welfare.

(4) Trade Unions should be asked to intensify their disciplinary action against shop stewards who are acting disruptively.

HOME INTELLIGENCE .

243

REFERENCES

1. Northern Region (Newcastle) Weekly reports from R.I.Os.
2. North-Eastern Region (Leeds)
3. North-Midland Region(Nottingham)
4. Eastern Region (Cambridge)
5. London Region (London)
5x Special London reports.
6. Southern Region (Reading)
7. South-Western Region (Bristol)
8. Wales (Cardiff)
9. Midland Region (Birmingham)
10. North-Western Region (Manchester)
11. Scotland (Edinburgh)
12. South-Eastern Region (Tunbridge Wells)
13. Northern Ireland (Belfast)
14. Special reports from R.I.Os.
15. M.O.I. speakers' reports
16. Local Information Committees' reports
17. Home Press Summaries M.O.I.
18. Regional Press Summaries
19. Hansard
20. Postal Censorship
21. Telephone Censorship
22. Police duty-room reports
23. Mass Observation
24. War-time Social Survey
25. B.B.C. listener research papers
26. B.B.C. special papers
27. Citizens' Advice Bureaux
28. W.V.S.
29. Scottish Unionist Whip's reports
30. Liberal Party reports
31. Economic League's reports
32. W.H. Smith's questionaires
33. War Office Postbag summaries
34. Primary sources

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