New, Oliver
2013 "New, Oliver", 2013, HistoryTalk Oliver came to London from Cardiff and recalls the range of industries in west London. He worked at an offshoot of EMI in Hayes initially doing warehousing and distribution work. He changed jobs frequently in this period, working on various industrial...
| Institution: | TUC - Trade Union Congress Library |
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| Language: | English |
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London
2013
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10796/8A8415CE-E869-473E-B098-9D9734E20248 http://hdl.handle.net/10796/D113946B-74A4-4E94-8D94-0AE00A1CB69E |
| Summary: | 2013
"New, Oliver", 2013, HistoryTalk
Oliver came to London from Cardiff and recalls the range of industries in west London. He worked at an offshoot of EMI in Hayes initially doing warehousing and distribution work. He changed jobs frequently in this period, working on various industrial estates. He then joined London transport in 1981 to be a guard and trained at the White City training Centre. He comments on the west London engineering corridor with its skilled AEU workforce and railway section mainly on the underground lines/ depots. He worked at Northfields depot on the Piccadilly Line and then Acton Town. Describes working at depots as part of a train- crew and the various traditions and mess- rooms as well as the African Caribbean managers and racism. Notes the seniority system and the sense of fairness and solidarity on the job. Describes the then system of cleaning and the status of cleaners and the later privatisation of cleaning services. Outlines the shift systems and the introduction of OPO trains and the resulting loss of guards jobs in the 1980s. describes some aspects of working as a motorman and the system for dealing with drivers after track suicides. He was on full- time release for union work from 1981 and seconded to the RMT in 2007. Discusses the future of London Transport.
Oliver joined the TGWU and became a senior shop steward. It was fully unionised but was later blacklisted for union activities and sacked from a diesel engine factory in Staines. He joined the NUR because it was an industrial trade union rather than ASLE&F that was a craft union. He attended branch meetings regularly and describes the usual business of branch meetings as well as the system of Sectional Councils. He also got involved in his local trades council. Describes the 1982 tube strikes and the wildcat strikes initiated by ASLE&F activists in 1989. Describes RMTs attempts to recruit cleaners and represent them and the intimidation and poor treatment of cleaning service workers.
In his clip Oliver describes the restructuring of London Underground in 1989, including one person operation, and the effectiveness of strike action.
Click on the pdf icon to read the entire transcript or click on the mp3 icon to hear a clip of the interview. |
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| Physical Description: | Photograph TEXT |