Identity
UGD 181
Records of Upper Clyde Shipbuilders Shop Stewards Committee, Govan, Glasgow, Scotland
1971-1972
0.5 metres
Glasgow University Archive Services
Upper Clyde
Shipbuilders Shop Stewards Committee (trade association: 1968-1972: Govan,
Glasgow, Scotland)
English
Administrative historyIn
1968, the
Labour government pronounced that
Upper Clyde Shipbuilders Ltd
was to be responsible for shipbuilding in the Glasgow area. This decision
resulted mainly from the findings of the Geddes Report on British shipbuilding.
The report led the UK government to force the merger of the five existing
shipbuilding companies from Clydebank to Govan, into one, which was to be known
as the Upper Clyde Shipbuilders Ltd. The five yards merged were:
John Brown & Co (Clydebank) Ltd in
Clydebank;
Fairfields (Glasgow) Ltd in Govan;
Alexander Stephen & Sons Ltd in
Linthouse;
Charles Connell & Co Ltd
in Scotstoun; and
Yarrows & Co Ltd also in Scotstoun.
The Upper Clyde Shibuilders (UCS) Yard was to set the bench mark not
only for shipbuilding, but for industry as a whole in Britain. At its
formation, there were nearly 14,000 people in the work-force. Yet despite
having a full orderbook and a forecasted profit in 1972, UCS was
controversially forced to enter into liquidation in 1971 when the government
refused a £6m working capital loan. Rather than go on strike, the
traditional form of industrial action, the Shop Stewards Committee organised
the UCS work-in of
1971-1972. The intention was to complete the orders
that the shipyards had in place, in an effort to force the government to
intervene financially to save the yards.
Given the high profile of the
UCS official liquidation, the work-in received a great deal of media attention.
Their action was partly successful, as in
1972 the
government sanctioned the formation of
Govan Shipbuilders Ltd, with
Scotstoun Marine Ltd a wholly owned subsidiary.
However, the existence of Upper Clyde Shipbuilders Ltd was ended.
These records contain transcripts and reel to reel tape recordings of
meetings held during the Upper Clyde Shipbuilders (UCS) work-in, which were
originally recorded for the purpose of writing up Shop Stewards Bulletins by
the publicity committee. The material covered includes:
- Mass meetings of UCS workers;
- Shop Steward meetings;
- Press interviews, television and radio programmes on UCS.
Absent however are recordings of the daily meetings of the
co-ordinating committee, which represented the central structure in the UCS
shop stewards organisation. Despite this they remain a significant primary
source on the UCS work-in.
Copies of the original tapes were acquired independently by both the
Scottish Record Office (SRO), and Charles Alexander Woolfson, from James Reid.
Woolfson later donated his copies to the University of Glasgow along with the
transcripts that he had made. Woolfson also provided the SRO with copies of his
transcripts. The transcription process was completed by Woolfson over a period
of two and a half years, with help from Margaret Pitt-Watson, however two of
the tapes were found to be untranscribable. Gerry Ross, a former member of the
co-ordinating committee, helped to identify as many of the speakers as
possible. Woolfson then went on to use the transcripts as the basis of his PhD
thesis
Working class culture: the work-in at Upper
Clyde Shipbuilders (1982), as well as his book
The politics of the UCS work-in: class alliances and
the right to work (1986), which he co-authored with John Foster.
NOTE: Dates do not match with total accuracy between the tapes and the
transcripts however they are in approximately correct order with a few
exceptions. Tapes UGD 181/2/1-9 correspond with volume 1 of the transcripts
(UGD 181/1/1); tapes UGD 181/2/10-16 correspond with volume 2 of the
transcripts (UGD 181/1/2); and tapes UGD 181/2/16-25 correspond with volume 3
of the transcripts (UGD 181/1/3).
Scope and ContentIncludes:
- Upper Clyde Shipbuilders (UCS) Shop Stewards' Committee
transcripts, 1971-1972;
- Upper Clyde Shipbuilders (UCS) Shop Stewards' Committee tape
recordings, 1971-1972.
System of ArrangementThis material is arranged
chronologically
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling informationThis
material has been appraised in line with standard GB 0248 procedures.
AccrualsNone expected
Conditions governing accessSome items in this collection
are restricted under Data Protection legislation as they contain sensitive
information. These records will not be fully accessible to the public until 100
years from the date on each file. However, they may be accessible to bona fide
researchers and academics.
Please contact the Duty Archivist for advice
on how to apply for access to these files. Contact details are as follows:
Duty Archivist,
University of Glasgow Archive Services
13 Thurso Street
Glasgow
Scotland
United Kingdom
G11 6PE
Email: enquiries@archives.gla.ac.uk
File marked RH22/1 is closed.
Copyright / Conditions governing reproductionApplications
for permission to quote should be sent to the University Archivist
Reproduction subject to usual conditions: educational use &
condition of documents
Existence and location of copiesGB 0234 RH22/1/1 contains
the same information as the Index in GB 0248 UGD 181/1/1; and GB 0234
RH22/1/29-53 is an exact duplicate of GB 0248 UGD 181/1/1-3. All these items
are presently stored at GUAS.
Other finding aidsDigital file level list available in
searchroom.
Location of originals
This material is original
Related material
- See also Glasgow University Archive Services
source
list on Ship Building, Ship Repair and Allied Industries;
- GB 0248 DC 065 Hay and Woolfson Upper Clyde Shipbuilders Ephemera
collection;
- GB 0248 DC 187 Papers of David Flint, 1919-, Professor of
Accountancy and Vice-Principal, University of Glasgow, Scotland;
- GB 0248 DC 455 Papers of James Reid, 1932-2010, Rector and
Scottish trade union official, University Of Glasgow, Scotland;
- GB 0248 UGD 180 Transcripts and reel to reel tape recordings of
media reports of the UCS 'work-in', Glasgow, Scotland ;
- GB 0248 UGD 348 and GB 0248 UCS 001 Records of Upper Clyde
Shipbuilders Ltd;
- GB 0248 UGD 349 and GB 0248 UCS 003 Records of Upper Clyde
Shipbuilders Ltd;
- GB 0248 ACCN 0989 Upper Clyde Shipbuilders liquidation
material;
- GB 0248 ACCN 3613 and GB 0248 ACCN 3629 Papers of Sir Robert
Smith, 1928-, chartered accountant and official Upper Clyde Shipbuilders
liquidator, Glasgow, Scotland;
- GB 0243 UCS 002 Records of Fairfield Shipbuilding &
Engineering Co Ltd, 1801-1969 (Glasgow City Archives)
- For contact details of all repositories with a GB code, see the
ARCHON
repository search page
Publication note
Woolfson, Charles and Foster, John,
The Politics of the UCS Work-in
(1986, London)
Notes
Rules and Conventions
Description compiled in line with the following international
standards:
International Council on Archives,
ISAD(G) Second Edition, September 1999 and
National Council on Archives,
Rules for the construction of personal, place and corporate
names
Note
Scotland is the location of all place names in the
administrative/biographical history element, unless otherwise stated.
Dates(s) of Descriptions
Compiled by Jenny Cooknell, Assistant Archivist, 25 October 1999.
Updated by Jack Watt, Archives Assistant, 19 November, 1999. Revised by David
Powell, Hub Project Archivist, 14 May 2002. Fonds level converted to Encoded
Archival Description (EAD) by David Powell, Hub Project Archivist, 17 June
2002. Catalogue enhanced by Callum Morrision, Club21 volunteer, 27/08/2012.
Lower levels converted to EAD by Michael Beesley, Archive Assistant, August
2013. Amended by Sam Maddra, Assistant Archivist (cataloguing), 4 November
2013.
Upper Clyde Shipbuilders Shop Stewards
Committee, 1971-1972
Yarrows & Co Ltd,
1922-
Charles Connell & Co Ltd, 1861-1980
John Brown & Co (Clydebank) Ltd, 1953-1968
Alexander Stephen & Sons Ltd, 1900-1968
Upper Clyde Shipbuilders Ltd, 1968-1972
Reid,
James, (1932-2010),
Rector and Scottish trade union activist,
University of Glasgow, Scotland
Govan (Scotland)
Trade unions
Labour disputes
Shipbuilding industry
SERIES DESCRIPTION
UGD 181/1
Transcripts of Upper Clyde Shipbuilders meetings
12 Aug
1971-3 Dec 1972
3
volumes
Scope and contentTranscripts of Shop Stewards Committee
meetings and discussions of the shop-stewards and workers during the Upper
Clyde Shipbuilders work-in, 1971-1972. UGD181/1/1 includes a list of contents
for all three volumes.
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this material.
ITEM DESCRIPTION
UGD 181/1/1
Transcripts of UCS meetings, Vol. 1
12 Aug 1971-04 Nov1971
1
volume
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this material.
ITEM DESCRIPTION
UGD 181/1/2
Transcripts of UCS meetings, Vol. 2
28 Oct 1971-10 Jul 1972
1
volume
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this material.
ITEM DESCRIPTION
UGD 181/1/3
Transcripts of UCS meetings, Vol. 3
01 Nov 1972-03 Dec 1972
1
volume
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this material.
SERIES DESCRIPTION
UGD 181/2
Tape recordings
11 Aug
1971-25 Mar 1973
25
reel to reel audio tapes
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this material.
Audio tapes currently undergoing digitisation as part of the NLS
project, Unlocking Our Sound Heritage, Aug 2019.
ITEM DESCRIPTION
UGD 181/2/1
Reel 1
12 Aug
1971-24 Aug 1971
1
audio tape
Scope and content
- Joint Shop Stewards Committee meeting, 12/08/1971;
- First full Joint Shop Stewards co-ordinating meeting,
24/08/1971.
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this material.
Audio tape currently undergoing digitisation as part of the NLS
project, Unlocking Our Sound Heritage, Aug 2019.
ITEM DESCRIPTION
UGD 181/2/2
Reel 2
02 Sep 1971-09 Sep 1971
1
audio tape
Scope and content
- Shop Stewards meeting, 02/09/1971;
- Full Shop Stewards meeting, including report by Jimmy Reid,
shop steward of the Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers,
06/09/1971;
- Interview with Ken Douglas, Managing Director of UCS Ltd,
09/09/1971.
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this material.
Audio tape currently undergoing digitisation as part of the NLS
project, Unlocking Our Sound Heritage, Aug 2019.
ITEM DESCRIPTION
UGD 181/2/3
Reel 3
23 Sep 1971-29 Sep 1971
1
audio tape
Scope and content
- Full Shop Stewards meeting and press statement, 23/09/1971;
- Mass meeting, 24/09/1971;
- Joint Shop Stewards Committee co-ordinating meeting,
Clydebank, 29/09/1971.
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this material.
Audio tape currently undergoing digitisation as part of the NLS
project, Unlocking Our Sound Heritage, Aug 2019.
ITEM DESCRIPTION
UGD 181/2/4
Reel 4
29 Sep
1971
1
audio tape
Scope and contentFirst Conference of Shipbuilding and
Repair Stewards, held in the Clydebank canteen, 29/09/1971.
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this material.
Audio tape currently undergoing digitisation as part of the NLS
project, Unlocking Our Sound Heritage, Aug 2019.
Related materialSee also UGD 181/2/5.
ITEM DESCRIPTION
UGD 181/2/5
Reel 5
29 Sep
1971
1
audio tape
Scope and content
- Conference of Shipbuilding and Repair Stewards continued,
29/09/1971;
- Co-ordinating committee report on the Stenhouse/Confederation
of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions (CSEU) meeting, 29/09/1971. Hugh
Stenhouse was the Chairman of UCS.
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this material.
Audio tape currently undergoing digitisation as part of the NLS
project, Unlocking Our Sound Heritage, Aug 2019.
Related materialSee also UGD 181/2/4.
ITEM DESCRIPTION
UGD 181/2/6
Reel 6
30 Sep 1971-1 Oct 1971
1
audio tape
Scope and content
- Report to full Shop Steward Committee on Confederation of
Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions (CSEU)/Stenhouse meeting, 30/09/1971;
- Mass meeting at Clydebank, and press statement,
1/10/1971.
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this material.
Audio tape currently undergoing digitisation as part of the NLS
project, Unlocking Our Sound Heritage, Aug 2019.
Related materialSee also UGD 181/2/7.
ITEM DESCRIPTION
UGD 181/2/7
Reel 7
1 Oct 1971-11 Oct 1971
1
audio tape
Scope and content
- Mass meeting at Clydebank continued, 1/10/1971;
- Report back on meeting with Sir John Davies MP to the Full
Shop Stewards committee, 6/10/1971;
- Mass meeting at Linthouse, where Jimmy Airlie repudiates
Davies's 'blackmail' attempt, 8/10/1971;
- Report back to the Joint Shop Stewards co-ordinating
committee on 'North British Hotel meeting' in Glasgow, 11/10/1971.
RESTRICTED ACCESS.
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this material.
Audio tape currently undergoing digitisation as part of the NLS
project, Unlocking Our Sound Heritage, Aug 2019.
Related materialSee also UGD 181/2/6; and UGD
181/2/8.
ITEM DESCRIPTION
UGD 181/2/8
Reel 8
11 Oct 1971 - 15 Oct 1971
1
audio tape
Scope and content
- Report back on 'North British Hotel meeting' in Glasgow
continued, 11/10/1971;
- Joint Shop Stewards co-ordinating committee press conference,
11/10/1971;
- Report back to Full Shop Stewards meeting on National
Confederation, 15/10/1971;
- Mass meeting at Linthouse, 15/10/1971.
RESTRICTED ACCESS.
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this material.
Audio tape currently undergoing digitisation as part of the NLS
project, Unlocking Our Sound Heritage, Aug 2019.
Related materialSee also UGD 181/2/7.
ITEM DESCRIPTION
UGD 181/2/9
Reel 9
3 Nov 1971-4 Nov 1971
1
audio tape
Scope and content
- Shop Stewards meeting in Clydebank canteen, 3/11/1971;
- Mass meeting report-back in Clydebank, 4/11/1971.
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this material.
Audio tape currently undergoing digitisation as part of the NLS
project, Unlocking Our Sound Heritage, Aug 2019.
ITEM DESCRIPTION
UGD 181/2/10
Reel 10
28 Oct 1971-17 Nov 1971
1
audio tape
Scope and content
- Joint Shop Stewards co-ordinating committee meeting in
Clydebank canteen, 28/10/1971;
- Joint Shop Stewards co-ordinating committee meeting,
16/11/1971;
- Mass meeting in Clydebank, 17/11/1971.
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this material.
Audio tape currently undergoing digitisation as part of the NLS
project, Unlocking Our Sound Heritage, Aug 2019.
ITEM DESCRIPTION
UGD 181/2/11
Reel 11
23 Dec 1971-28 Jan 1972
1
audio tape
Scope and contentEMPTY CASE - tape missing.
- Full Shop Stewards report back in Clydebank canteen on
meeting with Sir John Davis MP, 23/12/1971;
- Shop stewards meeting in Clydebank, 28/1/1972;
- Shop Stewards meeting in Clydebank, Sammy Barr, Tommy
Stewart, Willie Clydesdale, John O'Neill and Gerry Ross discuss with holding
the vessels, 24/1/1972;
- Shop Stewards meeting in Clydebank, 27/1/1972.
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ITEM DESCRIPTION
UGD 181/2/12
Reel 12
28 Jan 1972-4 Feb 1972
1
audio tape
Scope and content
- Shop Stewards meeting in Clydebank, 28/1/1972;
- Mass meeting at Linthouse, 31/1/1972;
- Shop Stewards meeting in Clydebank canteen, 4/2/1972.
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this material.
Audio tape currently undergoing digitisation as part of the NLS
project, Unlocking Our Sound Heritage, Aug 2019.
ITEM DESCRIPTION
UGD 181/2/13
Reel 13
14 Mar 1972-15 Mar 1972
1
audio tape
Scope and content
- Shop Stewards meeting in Clydebank, 14/3/1972;
- Full Joint Shop Stewards meeting, 15/3/1972.
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this material.
Audio tape currently undergoing digitisation as part of the NLS
project, Unlocking Our Sound Heritage, Aug 2019.
ITEM DESCRIPTION
UGD 181/2/14
Reel 14
7 Apr 1972-1 May 1972
1
audio tape
Scope and content
- Mass meeting at Clydebank, 7/4/1972;
- Shop Stewards meeting in Clydebank, 1/5/1972.
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Audio tape currently undergoing digitisation as part of the NLS
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ITEM DESCRIPTION
UGD 181/2/15
Reel 15
1 Jun 1972-8 Jun 1972
1
audio tape
Scope and content
- Shop Stewards meeting in Clydebank, 1/6/1972;
- Shop Stewards meeting in Clydebank, 8/6/1972.
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Audio tape currently undergoing digitisation as part of the NLS
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ITEM DESCRIPTION
UGD 181/2/16
Reel 16
9 Jun 1972-16 Aug 1972
1
audio tape
Scope and content
- Mass meeting at Linthouse, 9/6/1972;
- Shop Stewards meeting in Linthouse, 10/7/1972;
- Mass meeting, 10/7/1972;
- Report on 'Govan Agreement and Clydebank bonus', Jimmy
McCrindle, Jimmy Airlie, Benny Biggins, John Donnelly and Jimmy Reid reflect on
the controversy, 16/8/1972.
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this material.
Audio tape currently undergoing digitisation as part of the NLS
project, Unlocking Our Sound Heritage, Aug 2019.
Related materialSee also UGD 181/2/17.
ITEM DESCRIPTION
UGD 181/2/17
Reel 17
16 Aug 1972-24 Aug 1972
1
audio tape
Scope and content
- Report on 'Govan Agreement and Clydebank bonus' continued,
16/8/1972;
- Mass meeting at Linthouse, 18/8/1972;
- Govan Shipbuilders Mass meeting, 22/8/1972;
- Full Shop Stewards meeting, 24/8/1972.
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this material.
Audio tape currently undergoing digitisation as part of the NLS
project, Unlocking Our Sound Heritage, Aug 2019.
Related materialSee also UGD 181/2/16.
ITEM DESCRIPTION
UGD 181/2/18
Reel 18
31 Aug 1972-15 Sep 1972
1
audio tape
Scope and content
- Joint Shop Stewards meeting at Linthouse. Jimmy Airlie, Sammy
Barr, Jimmy Reid, Willie Holt and Jimmy McCrindle on the boilermakers'
rejection of the Govan Agreement, 31/8/1972;
- Joint Shop Stewards meeting - Govan Shipbuilders, 4/9/1972;
- Wages negotiations in Linthouse canteen, 15/9/1972.
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Audio tape currently undergoing digitisation as part of the NLS
project, Unlocking Our Sound Heritage, Aug 2019.
Related materialSee also UGD 181/2/19.
ITEM DESCRIPTION
UGD 181/2/19
Reel 19
16 Sep 1972-2 Oct 1972
1
audio tape
Scope and content
- Linthouse report back on Wages negotiations, 16/9/1972;
- Finishing Trades meeting in Lyceum Cinema. Joe Black,
Williams, John Connolly, Jimmy Airlie and Joe Brown on re-imposing 50p levy,
2/10/1972.
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this material.
Audio tape currently undergoing digitisation as part of the NLS
project, Unlocking Our Sound Heritage, Aug 2019.
Related materialSee also UGD 181/2/18.
ITEM DESCRIPTION
UGD 181/2/20
Reel 20
9 Oct 1972-10 Nov 1972
1
audio tape
Scope and content
- Mass meeting at Marathon Shipbuilding Company (UK) Ltd,
9/10/1972;
- Press conference, 10/10/1972;
- Upper Clyde Shipbuilders victory celebration,
10/11/1972.
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Audio tape currently undergoing digitisation as part of the NLS
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ITEM DESCRIPTION
UGD 181/2/21
Reel 21
Sep 1971-Jul 1972
1
audio tape
Scope and content
- Television interview, Jimmy Reid and Roy Grantham with Magnus
Magnusson, July 1972;
- Television interview
What Happens Now? with
Ludovic Kennedy, Jimmy Reid and others, September 1971;
- It's Your Line BBC Radio
phone-in with Jimmy Reid, hosted by Robin Day, December 1971.
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Audio tape currently undergoing digitisation as part of the NLS
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ITEM DESCRIPTION
UGD 181/2/22
Reel 22
May
1972
1
audio tape
Scope and contentMeeting on the Industrial Relations
Act in Rosevale, May 1972.
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Audio tape currently undergoing digitisation as part of the NLS
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ITEM DESCRIPTION
UGD 181/2/23
Reel 23
25 Mar
1973
1
audio tape
Scope and content
- J Roy Hay interview with Jimmy Reid, undated;
- J Roy Hay interview with Benny Biggins, 25/3/73.
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ITEM DESCRIPTION
UGD 181/2/24
Reel 24
14 Sep 1972-21 Sep 1972
1
audio tape
Scope and content
- Shop Stewards committee meeting, 'Govan Agreement',
14/9/72;
- Mass meeting at Govan/Linthouse, 18/9/72;
- Mass meeting at Clydebank, 21/9/1972.
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ITEM DESCRIPTION
UGD 181/2/25
Reel 25
1 Nov
1971
1
audio tape
Scope and contentFull Shop Stewards meeting in
Rosevale, Second Conference for West of Scotland Shop Stewards on Unemployment,
1/11/1971.
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Audio tape currently undergoing digitisation as part of the NLS
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