Jim Henderson
1999/178 Jim Henderson interviewed in his home in Edinburgh by Dr Heather Holmes on 14th November 1999
000 Changes in management with takeovers. Oxley Group best, would listen to employees. Father of the Chapel would speak to the panel and minutes were taken. The union brought in over redundancies and who should go. A compromise was met.
071 Took 2 months to resolve matter. Was full time job to be FOC, but was a voluntary post on top of work.
117 In Chapel there was FOC and deputy FOC, Secretary and a collector of fees. Nobody else was interested in being FOC. Chapel meeting once a month.
141 Latterly Chapel meetings were not very well attended.
152 Job of FOC to put voice of chapel to the management.
179 FOC was not treated any differently. Chapel dues were £1 a week. This included a donation to the pension and to the Labour Party.
205 Not a lot of contact with main union branch.
217 Called a strike about holiday pay. Management were not paying correct amount, mistake and was sorted out.
246 Edinburgh union branch and earlier Nelsons sent retired members of staff a Christmas hamper.
256 When father retired after 58 years got gold watch. In Ronnie’s time would have got a party too but nothing was organised. In last two years of working life was transferred to Glasgow and had to travel.
300 Ronnie was mean, would make workers pay for him on bus and also at parties. Married a woman in Ireland who had a stud farm, did not last.
328 When the firm closed the directors took all the pictures and stripped the oak panels off the wall.
345 Beautiful offices.
353 Not a lot of investment in machines latterly.
388 Great changes in the early 1960s. But recently Apple Mac has done the same. It could do many processes quicker and cheaper.
419 Had great working relationship with customer. But Mac could produce quicker and cheaper.
444 Master Printers Association not much good.
448 Work produced itself did not change.
458 In Nelsons throughout buyovers 1961-1979. Upset within workers during transfers, worried about jobs.
490 When transferred after takeover there was not much difference in technology, Nelsons slightly more advanced. Technology was quickly superseding machines. In past could charge what liked for rush job and get people in to work overtime.
559 Quite a lot of overtime at Nelsons, good way to boost wages.
564 Worked shifts at Transcolour. Job for Morrison ad Gibb at opening of Commonwealth Games in Canada. Got picture sent by satellite and in Evening News that same day. Big use of new technology.
621 At Nelsons and Morrison and Gibb was pride in work. Like working for a big family, you were shown the finished book when it was done if you had worked on it.
642 All jobs were different and interesting, work on paintings for National Art Gallery (prints). Aldo Bibles on George IV Bridge, great security.
718 Won prizes for printing while at Transcolour. People would spend £1000’S on work for good quality.
758 Would print Robert Carrier’s books, use of new technology
782 A lot of books for West Africa, also Asterix, time spent retouching Asterix books.
818 Boring repetitive work.
837 Large companies in England in comparison to Scotland.
854 Nelsons was thought of as a good company at that time. Newspaper industry also would not allow technology, strikes were called by the union who would have nothing to do with it.
END