The Weekly Wail

[meekan]

Dear Editor,
I am not in complete agreement with you regarding ICI being a good company to work for. Yes it was good in that the workers were given share issues every year and the company's support for recreational activities was very good.
Working conditions were however less than perfect with dangerous chemical vapors being abundant in the surrounding air. Many a worker was killed not only by the occasional explosion but by the breathing in of fumes, for example NG heart a condition caused by continued exposure to Nitroglycerin . A walk to the detonator dept. on early shift would expose you to heavy acid fumes, many a girl's tights left in shreds and if you were a man it was advisable not to shave if on early shift because your face would be left stinging with acid fumes. The above mentioned are only a few of the dangerous fumes in and around the plant.
Yes we in hind sight should be angry with the local authorities for believing ICI when it said they would employ all the labour available and putting all our eggs in one basket. Again in hind sight we should have been diversifying and encouraging other industries to the area.
Regarding taking a leaf from Keir Hardies book It is difficult to take industrial action when threatened with closure because orders could be fulfilled from other cheap labour facilities around the world, and going on strike for example would save the company wages etc. Some of the unique products made at Ardeer were used solely in the mining industry and with mines closing in the UK and modern mining techniques there was little need for Ardeer's products.
In my experience plant closures once they have been agreed at board level and publicly announced nothing can be done to stop it even if it is proved to be a wrong decision.
As I said earlier the mistake was made by not encouraging diversity of industries just after WW 2.