Christopher Pole-Carew

[bamber 128]

Many Nottstalgians will remember the industrial action at the Nottingham Evening Post, in the 1970s, when the management wanted to replace the old-fashioned production techniques with, what was then, state-of-the-art technology and the unions did not like it.

 

Well, the man who was behind the switch has passed away.

 

Christopher Pole-Carew

[Cliff Ton 10,452]

I remember him, and the events of those days.

 

He was right to try and bring the industry into the 20th century and get rid of the stone-age mentality, but he wasn't the best diplomat or negotiator.

[BilboroughShirley 1,120]

I remember him. My dad worked at the newspaper office. The workers learned to use computers having had all the training and then that man pulled out of the carefully negotiated agreement. It all got very nasty going from strike to lock-out. The picketing became creative when those on strike produced a line of traffic that circled the building so the vans could not get in and out!  I borrowed the book "Somebody had to do it" from the library. No way would I buy it! The book tells the whole story. When the computer was installed the compositors typed in the text to produce punched tape. My dad said there were different colours for different parts of the paper. Once the system was up an running they got rid of him and he went to work for Rupert Murdoch. To end on a positive note, just before the dispute my dad was presented with his long service award, and Omega watch engraved with his name. Our son wore it at his MA graduation. My dad would have been so pleased. Also, because dad learned a typewriter keyboard thanks to that man, he was able to type my husband's degree project for him, saving a lot of money.

[BilboroughShirley 1,120]

I have just read the newspaper article. My dad was not dismissed. The workers got threatening letters about dismissal. I still have this in my archives. He was offered and took what is called voluntary  redundancy though it is a job that is made redundant not a person. He could have gone back to work there but instead he took the redundancy and a group of them set up a free newspaper called "Info". It was financed by advertising. Again more positives because he enjoyed working on Info.