| Description | Track 1 [00:52:25] [Session one: 27 November 2013] Davis Ferris [DF], born in Neath General Hospital, 12 October 1951. DF was one of 8 children, talks of his father’s work, first on the railway and then the blastfurnaces in Margam, Port Talbot. DF names his schools – Eastern Junior, Primary and Senior schools, and Dyffryn Comprehensive School, mentions leaving at nearly age 16. DF lists his jobs prior to the steelworks – a butcher’s delivery boy, in a garage, a short time on the dole; DF joined the steelworks age18, until retirement. DF gives reasons for working at the steelworks, mentions other family and friends worked there, including his brother - now a manager with the ‘civil sort of police’. DF describes getting the job at Margam; mentions starting in the ‘yard pool’ in 1969. DF describes his job, general laboring on the ‘coke ovens’, and how ‘pool cover’ worked. DF describes his first day at work remarking he wondered ‘what the hell have I come into here’; remarks on the terrible conditions (fumes etc.), but that the ‘troops’ were great. DF details his wage increases between 1976-1978, laughs at how much less than a pound could buy then (bus fare, packet of fags plus a pint of beer); agrees wages were good for the time. [00:06:25] DF says he was a general laborer for 2 years before promotion; explains [not entirely clear] ‘the promotion line’, involving ‘branches’ which ‘controlled seniority’, mentions ‘different batteries’ [not explained, also later mentioned]; confirms promotion was controlled by the Union, except certain ‘option jobs’ (requiring ‘more savvy’) where management could veto union decisions. DF talks about his promotions - ship laborer, then wharf job. DF explains working continental shifts and a double back rota; remarks on how he felt about working shifts. DF talks about working on the coke ovens in general, work pattern, lunch breaks; describes ‘pushing an oven’. [00:11.44] DF describes further promotions, with details of jobs - ‘back door man’, ‘on the guide’ (‘that was a killer’), ‘the charger’; talks about solo work close to the coke ovens; confirms he worked these jobs for 3-4 years in ‘different batteries’ – briefly explains their different pressures. [00:13:50] DF talks about two coke oven sites - Margam and The Grange (built 1959), explains differences between the two – attitudes, trade unionism; explains calling Grange workers ‘chosen boys’. DF briefly talks about health and safety (H&S) in the coke ovens and the ‘macho men’ attitude; mentions education on environmental issues and H&S started to ‘creep in’ around 1970. [00:16:49] DF considers the relationship between management and employees in the Margam coke ovens wasn’t very good; talks about getting on with management himself as he was a ‘militant boy’; describes issues with management introducing ‘job and finish’ because ‘they were in a rush’– explains it led to cutting corners and taking risks to finish early. [00:19:22] DF agrees Margam was over manned, calls it a ‘big danger’; talks of the ‘slimlines’, mentions the Monty Finniston report recommendations, and agreements introduced (blue and green book). Further talk of the ‘slimline discussions’; DF confirms he was part of the process following these; explains how company profitability became related to ‘man hours per ton’ [of steel], also redundancies and other measures when imposed budgets went ‘out of control’; explains the company mainly dealt with having to let people go by giving incentives, remarks it meant loosing skilled workers to places like Ford, also some places (the hot and cold mill) lost junior people through management choices. [00:23:46] DF comments on the biggest changes in 70’s and 80’s – mentions Brian Moffat and John Morris (MP) who built bridges between the union and some company bosses. [section closed 00:25:11-00:28:17] DF gives his opinion on the purpose of unions, remarks they had forgotten about negotiation - creating a void between union and management; remarks politicians helped unions and management talk (starting around 81-82). DF gives his opinion on workers who didn’t want to be involved in the ‘simlines’, remarks on ‘head in the sand bucket mentality’. DF comments that the general executive, divisional officers and branch level trade union officials had a good relationship, mentions Ken [Williams] was a Branch Official and Executive, not involved in the ‘slimline’ - led by chair and vice chair of hot mill, and heavy steel working party. [00:31:56] DF explains how he became involved in the unions’ (the Coke Oven Branch Committee) - tells anecdote of how his attitude changed; states numbers of ISTC branch committee members and confirms elections were yearly. DF talks about decisions which committees were responsible for – gives example of the grievance procedure. DF talks about joint branch meetings, where and when held, who went, explains it was an opportunity for the divisional officer to make a report, to share information and learn; lists officers attending regularly – John Foley, Brian Conway, Roy Knight, Roy Lucas, mentions joint group decisions on who attended the unions national conference; DF gives explanation [unclear] of who would attend the Welsh Labour Party, and National Labour Party conferences. [00:36:44] DF confirms he was in favor of the 1980’s strike, but that it should have been fought on jobs not earnings – states wage increase asked for and agreed on; DF explains lack of animosity toward him for working during the strike; explains why he thought the strike a success, and why he thought local [strike] action was the only way, though national unions disagreed with it. Discussion on trade union branch officials at Port Talbot, their apparent need for independence, and why; refers to Port Talbot, Llanwern, Scunthorpe plants knowing they had a chance to survive over Ravenscraig. [00:41:19] Discussion of a strike immediately following the 1980 official strike - reasons for the action; meetings at the Mount View Club and the Afon Lido; DF’s opinion on why the dispute could have been better won and the mood of the workforce on return. DF remarks that people didn’t understand what it was about [the strike], and that plants setting up multi-union committees, backed by Bill Sirs, helped to rebuild confidence. Discussion on why DF said people didn’t understand the strike, talk of lack of understanding that the steel industry was ‘in a mess’, and resentment of cuts following the strike [the pay rise won during the strike came at a cost]. Discussion on the ‘not very good’ relationship between crafts people and process workers, talks of mistrust and salary differences. DF agrees that relationships improved with the multi union committees, names John Thomas, Ronnie Walters and himself in this. [00:47:35] DF describes aspects of living in Margam when he worked at the steelworks, tells of walking from Taibach to Margam, when from Eastern School to Groeswen it smelled of rotten eggs. Describes the pollution, and how it affected peoples’ health, mentions the ‘black towers’; tells of the setting up of a ‘special projects team’ to deal with environmental issues (1974) and the effect on working practices and company spend. DF comments that every family in the area had someone working at Margam. DF comments on changes in the area, how the catchment area for workers has expanded - mentions Swansea and Porthcawl. [00:50:57] DF describes socialising outside work, mentions morale [workers] and meeting at the Rugby Club and the Scare. DF reflects on what he enjoyed about work and tells of regretting not taking opportunities at work to further his education. |