Union Support

Q: How did you feel about the trade unions and that?

A: Well, now everybody had to be in the union at our factory, it was...closed shops all of them, and it's surprising int it? There was... you know little firms like that, yet everybody was in, nobody had ever tried and escapaed paying the contributions. But there was a law, you couldnt join the union until you were sixteen, that was the law then, but er... when this strike came back and we came on strike in December we lads that were under age to join the union, they gave us all six bob a week the union did, and until they were broke, and afer a week or two they got broke, and so the union issued a leaflet affair and said that they'd be pleased to receive loans from any of the members. Would any of the members lend then any money. Now the Co-op of course, they were individual co-ops then. This was Cinder Hill Co-op, they weren't like Nottingham not a big Co-op, but the allowed all strikers to have a free credit, free credit, and of course this six bob was what we got practically on an ordinary week's works. We was 'bout as well off on strike as we was going to work you see. But what I was going to tell you about this loan and that I was there on this Friday Morning when we was drawing our money and the men, were bringing their life savings to lend to union, and I saw one man, the fact that he was my uncle don't make any difference, but he was, he was a very religious man, very Christian man, Sunday school superintendent, but I saw him with his cap full of golden sovereigns and turned them on the table, and lent them all he'd got. And everyone were paid back you, you know, that's good int it?

Source: Nottingham Central Library Local History Section (Recording A3/a-e/1 Vol.1)