Strike of 1974

[peter ward]

Does anyone remember the strike of 74 ?
We had just returned from Rotterdam dry dock and were preparing for the meditteranean christmas cruise when everyone walked off the ship and held an impromptu union meeting on the quay .
I don't fully remember what it was all about ,but think it had something to do with working conditions and the introduction of cheap foriegn labour ..anyhow the captain requested all crew to get back on board or he would sail without us .
Unfortunately being just eighteen and impressionable I opted to stay with the hardliners on the quay and the captain did what he said he would do .....sail without us !
Although I had been to Rotterdam with the ship this would have been my first trip proper , anyhow we stayed in southampton for a couple of days holding meetings in the park opposite the seamans mission and finally agreeing to rejoin the ship . the company flew us out to Gibraltar where we completed the cruise but we were treated with disdain by the passengers ( understandable ) ..what an introduction to my life at sea !

[Rod]

I remember the strike well. I was one of the ones that helped cut away the crew gangway when dock staff would not!

[baltaogc]

I had recently joined my 1st ship at 18 yrs of age and was assistant baker / confectioner. A person who I was told was a union rep came through the kitchen telling us all to get off the ship. Not knowing any better I did along with a number of other newbies. On the quay I got hold of a mate to ask him what was going on and was promptly snapped by a reporter. That picture was on the front page of the Southampton paper looking as if I was dragging the guy away from the ship but is was nothing like that. The ship sailed and I went to the office and they asked if I wanted to rejoin in Gibraltar which I did. If anyone has an old copy of the paper which would be dated the day after the ship sailed I would be very interested to see it.

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

Gary, great memories! Just shows how something can so easily be misunderstood and misinterpreted. You must have had the shock of your life when QE2 took off without you...

Can you remember what the strike was about and how it ended? Did others also rejoin in Gibraltar together with you and Peter Ward?

If you have the exact date of this strike, we could include it in the QE2 timeline, here :

https://www.theqe2story.com/forum/index.php/topic,1789.0.html

[Michael Gallagher]

QE2 arrived back from Rotterdam on 19 December 1974 and sailed for the Atlantic Isles on 21 December. Interestingly that would be the last time QE2 would spend Christmas in Europe until December 1986 when she was in Bremerhaven being re-engine. She only spent the Christmas' of 1968, 1974, 1986, 2005 and 2006 in Europe.

[baltaogc]

Isabelle. I understood that the issue was reduction in overtime allowed ( which actually was probably a bit of a racket) and that would affect pay. Being new I had no idea what I was getting paid as I had never paid off yet and was told my basic wage was 24 pounds a week . It was a total surprise when I picked up over 600 pounds after 3 months as with overtime of 5.5 hrs a day and 13.5 hours Sat and Sunday  and sea time etc my weekly wage was over 60 pounds. I only walked off as the Union rep said so and no one in the Bakers shop said pay no attention to him.

A lot of us were flown out together to Gib.. Probably 100 or more. I will search the date.

It was a time of constant new experience. I spent the night before rejoining at the Birds Nest disco and the Dolphin Hotel