Soap issue while on board

[j.sabourn]

Even Roses from Vietnam were not unheard of. JS

[John Gill]

#10. Hmm. not so thick or fast these days.

[Fred Saunders]

I remember back in mid 1950 or 1951, there was a medium size ship tied up at 4 or 5 Lee Wharf Newcastle ( Australia ) The crew went on strike for a change of soap, I forget ( I guess at 91, I am allowed to ) but Lifebouy Soap was one of the soaps involved, not sure now if it was Lifebouy changed for another brand or vice versa.
Fred Saunders

[j.sabourn]

The nearest I can get to that was the apprentices indenture courtesy of the BSF. Circa 1952 indenture wages 390 pounds over a period of 4 years , with the addittion of 12/- a year washing money , it does not however stipulate whether that is for oneself or your dungarees. I have this document hanging up in my so called study to remind myself of one of the inequity’s practiced by the shipowner and his followers practiced on seafarers. Much preferred the BSF duties taken over such by the MUA from 1991 to 2002 which was the dawn of a new era, however think today it proved to be short lived by what I hear on the grapevine. JS

[Des Taff Jenkins]

I 1950 we had three Polish seamen on board, two of them where great blokes, the third' a bit older stunk, so much so that he was tied to to rail and hosed down and told to get a shower every day not once a year.
Des

[happy daze john in oz]

In those days the dockers here in Oz would go on strike for anything.
Even if the beer in the local pub was not cold enough for six o clock swill.

[Julian Norman]

I remember arriving in Sydney on ACT3 and crane driver refusing to work because the lighting was out in his cab, despite it being 0800 and daylight.

[Doug Hardie]

I remember the dockers walking off in Sydney just because the 3Rd mate was hanging over the Hatch combing listening to the cricket ,England were winning ! They said he was harassing them and upsetting their working conditions .
Doug

[Des Taff Jenkins]

One thing with the Australian Wharfies back in the days, they wouldn't be pissed about by the bosses, if it was raining they stopped work, the equivalent in the UK was Dockers with sacks over them to try and keep dry, which gangs would you rather be in?
Des

[j.sabourn]

#18 At the other end of the misdemeanours I can remember in Cairns FNQ. The Dockers walking off the ship when they saw the quality of the meat being supplied to the ship via the local chandler for crews use. It was replaced by top quality meat before they would resume work. It was not always themselves they were looking after. JS