1966

[j.sabourn]

Can remember going there once from Sfax ( N.Africa) with iron ore. Thought at time it was a dull little place. No one let on to me it was booming. Cheers John Sabourn

[leratty]

Cappy, I do not recall being involved in the strike or hearing about. I shipped out of London & must say was pretty naive then. It most probably did but my last trip was on WCSM six or so months as left the sea in 67. But I sure do recall the pay off to the police at the gates. That I think was the only money out of our pay off's that I let go. I sent a serious sub home other wise knew I would spend the lot (I never checked my pay off slip wonder how many times it was wrong?) & worked the selling of things bought at different places that you knew would sell at next + of course the odd drum of paint, mooring line etc ):
Les & Glen, when I left the sea I went into a great share house in Lancaster Gate London, all university students, half medical students & us engineers the other 1/2. All Aussies Kiwis & one Rhodesian. Still in touch with each other after so many years. My biggest shock was the head if you will tenant coming to me after a month I think one night as I was studying asking for two quid, it was for the electricity + five shillings for the ph? I said, "what are yer on about, I pay my rent to you what the f... is this then?" He explained to my horror that they were my share & there was a gas one to come....Welcome to the real world Richard! I had a bit put away from my subs so was OK for the first two years, after that it was seriously hard. I worked as a window cleaner to get by, much fun at that to with a great East Ham lad who took over the biz from his father. The things we saw witnessed were beyond belief am sure George Fornby would have had some lines for his ditty I tell you ((: We used to get the off cuts of meat from the local butcher real cheap, same from the green grocer & lived on stews-soups, pies & big red letter day was when someone got some money & we had a roast lamb or beef. It was then I learnt to cook other wise you starved. Ironic we still went on the hooch though how I do not know? Richard

[cappy]

I have found that life is made day to day by the people around you ......if you are in good company you are a better person for it living the carefree life of our youths was not made happier by much if we had a lot or less......money is nice but certainly not the be all and end all of everything .....looking back some of my happiest times like most on this site were when we had not a lot.......one time in my life I entered into the share market .....my day was very happy if they went up 2 or 3 p ......but when they went down longface......it was a standing joke in the family ....his shares have gobe up .....ask him for a sub .....or keep out the road his shares have gone down .....sold them and was not given to ups and downs

[Bill Cameron]

Just to remind you all there was a strike in 1960, I and every member of the crew all got a DR for walking off the Rfa Wave Ruler in Leith, we had to rejoin in Rosyth Dockyard 2 weeks later, it was the height of the first Cod War usually a 21 day round voyage back to Rosyth or Greenock to top up, but word must have got around that the non company men were going to sign off en-masse and we were diverted to Plymouth, buggers!! but we all did, and all our discharge books carried 3 discharges from the Wave Ruler, 2 VG's 1 VG, DR then another 2 VG's used to get asked lots of time why this was thus, another way of shafting us and telling the world we took part in the strike.
Only good thing that came out of that strike for me was, I met my wife .

[Keith at Tregenna]

RE: 1966, England beat West Germany 4–2 K.

[Captain Kong]

I was on the Seamens Strike in 1960, out of work from June to October,, Thrown off the Pool, then got a Pier Head jump on the Empress of France where Charlie Hannah had just joined.
Cheers
Brian

[j.sabourn]

Re. #14... If remember correctly this was an unofficial strike. I was at home on leave and received a phone call from the company to go to a vessel to man a ship for moving in the Manchester ship canal. I made the excuse I was ill in bed. The company servants who did go were being pelted and pelting back spuds and anything at hand to those on the banks of the canal I was told by others. The shipowner knew how to divide and rule. I had no intention of crossing any picket line if there was one, so as said I took the cowards way out. Cheers John Sabourn

[Les Woodard]

Pity about those shares Cappy as I found out that treating them the same way that I treated money at sea works well for me. Do not care a tinkers cuss what the share price is on the day so long as each six months they pay out a divvy that keeps the liquid flowing. So long as they are with reputable companies. I know that it is a gamble but did not like all the fecking rules and regulations that went with having a superanuation pension while some sick bugger sat back on his backside doing nothing and taking a percentage of it. Think what happened mate is you where treating those shares as a day trader and that will hiss you of quicker than anything. Can only talk about what it is like in Oz so anywhere else would be a different kettle of fish.

As for the strike well at that time we where in NZ so under articles so the crew decided that we would club together and send an allotment to the seamans union. Always wondered if any of you got a bit of relief with that as I doubt it very much. The other part I notice that so many where under contract to a company or the federation and never could understand why as I loved the freelancing of choosing where and when I signed on. Mind you never spent more than a week at the most in the UK between ships and shortest stay was three days. Sign of get into trouble then sign on and hope it was all over by the next time I signed of.

[Captain Kong]

We never got any money at all Les. If the money was sent to the NUS then they would have kept it for themselves.
The NSRM was against the NUS as it was Bent and Corrupt, so the money was paid to the Gangsters we were fighting. We had our own collections for the NSRM. see the contract on the back of the Card above.
.
As regards being contracted to the Federation , this became compulsory in the end, you had no choice, No Contract no job, no free lancing.
The best bet was to join one of the better companies and sign their contract and so you knew what to expect. I signed a contract with ESSO, the best move I ever made. Plenty money, guaranteed length of voyage, and loads of leave on full pay. 2 for 1.
They paid all my college and examination fees when they wanted me to go for a ticket, home for seven months on full pay, each time.Good expences when joining and leaving ships. We were well looked after there. so much better than the Federation. ESSO are still paying me 20 odd years after leaving.
Cheers
Brian

[j.sabourn]

The NUS and money... This came up once before... The NUS had some agreement with the Shipowner that when a seaman was signing on the Unions fee had to be transferred every month to the Unions account. The shipowner if he had refused to have this deduction made where would the union of received any monies. Further to this previously discussed on the Articles of Agreement on FG cargo vessels a seaman could only leave 50 percent of his wages as an allotment, no allowance being made for overtime or sundays at sea. This when also consider Advance Notes, the seaman was considered as always a third class citizen. On a recent post I said how the leave system hadn't changed since 1970, as was proven on a recent TV program in UK, this applies to Foreign Flag vessels. I do have a little experience on such class of vessels and can confirm that a year away was and still is apparently standard for such vessels. Considering their crew size is at least 50 percent to what it was, who"s being screwed. I feel sorry for some of these third world crews as know how some are treated, they have to go through all the rigmarole again the same as the British seamen did. Hopefully they may have more honest and consitant unions to help them. Anyone would of thought that the past Deputy PM being a so called ex seafarer would have had a better knowledge of shipping than he apparently had. Looking back the decline would of been absolute if he had been Minister for Transport. Cheers John Sabourn