Fred Ainslie
2002/109 Fred Ainslie interviewed in his own home by Sarah Bromage in Edinburgh on 15/11/2002
Fred Ainslie began working at Galloways after studying to become a chartered accountant. Went to Galloways as Assistant Secretary. He was subsequently appointed Company Secretary of Galloways and joined the Board of Directors of Galloways.
000 Health and Safety. Fatal accidents, pulp stacks fell on employee. Used crow bar to lever stacks and it collapsed.
046 Guards on machines, but you had to lead the paper through machines and difficult to do with guards
064 What people wore on shop floor, no eye equipment worn. Salle would wear overalls and office would wear a suit
078 Unions in the mill. Unions not that powerful till they joined with SOGAT. Not much trouble with unions. Men did not strike, but women did. Production committee.
118 Some printers were prestige orders. Always complaints but not any in particular ones. Vogue and House and Garden prestige jobs. Made board for Marks and Spencers for swing tickets, they were very fussy. Heinz tin labels.
149 Heinz wanted to see paper testing lab, wasn’t one but they put in one overnigh. Quite common for customers to see the mill. Groups of executives who would go and see other firms such as Dandy Rolls at Millers.
180 Various companies who supplied the dandy rolls for water marking. Bertrams Leith Walk all machines came from them. In shutdown Bertram’s men would come in and help engineers.
201 2 machines at Galloways and their productions. Twin wire process. Avoided the trades holiday as could not get Bertrams people. 2 weeks off and New Year. Christmas Day was a working day. Took local holidays.
247 Turbine breakdown. Holidays for staff, office staff got christmas day off. Office staff got a turkey at Christmas, but only the married ones.
273 Shares on open market, no options for employees. 1000 shareholders.
282 Coating plant carried on and was run by Fife mills. Kept the coating people on. Pretty obvious that it was going to close. Involved in another business selling accounting machines.
308 End.