‘Told you,’ he said.
‘Well it was a warm day man and you can’t really blame them. We did have a couple ourselves.’
Dougie stared at him for a moment.
‘You’re off your head anyway,’ he said. ‘I mean you don’t really think they’ll discuss the Bill do you?’
‘We’ll see.’
The sounds of approaching voices accompanied by loud laughter were preceded into the room by an old man who walked slowly down the passageway and sat on a chair in the corner, in the second front row. Then the door opened and in came the Chairman and the Shop Steward of the branch, followed by assorted members of the committee and around a dozen ordinary union members. The committee men strode to the far end of the room and sat down behind the long table where the Shop Steward proceeded to lay out some sheets of paper and his tobacco tin. The ordinary members, now seated on the chairs on the other side of the table, were speaking amongst themselves. Dougie was discussing the day’s racing with the fellow in front when the Chairman called the meeting to order and apologised for the absence of the Secretary. Someone at the back loudly whispered something about Ibrox Park and the Chairman quickly retorted that he wasn’t far wrong there and laughed with the rest.
‘Anyway,’ he continued, ‘our good friend and scrutineer Brother Reilly has kindly offered to stand in. So, Gus!’
Gus MacDonald the Shop Steward passed some papers across to Brother Reilly, and remarked aside to the Chairman:
‘Couple of new faces tonight eh!’ He continued loudly, ‘Well Brothers if Brother Reilly reads us last month’s Minutes we’ll get it started eh?’
‘Aye well. .’ began the Acting Secretary, adjusting his spectacles before beginning.
‘And so if there’s no objections I’ll sign for a True Record,’ said the Chairman when the Acting Secretary had read the last Minute.
‘Don’t see any,’ said Reilly, peering around the room.
‘Any Matters Arising?’ asked the Chairman as he signed.
‘What about this canteen business eh?’ cried a fellow sitting near the front.
‘No!’ replied the Chairman.
‘Not a Matter Arising,’ said the Acting Secretary.
‘What’s going to get done?’ continued the fellow.
The Chairman glanced across at the Shop Steward before answering. ‘Later Tam.’ He leaned over and whispered something to the Acting Secretary.
But the fellow persisted. ‘Well I hope so because. .’
‘Tam!’ cried Brother Reilly, shaking his head in exasperation.
‘Okay,’ interrupted the Shop Steward, darting a look at the Chairman. ‘I got on to the manager about that Tam and he said there’s nothing he can do. Said it was Head Office’s decision and he’d take it to them, but as I told you last month they’re only allowed to put on two dinners and all Head Office’ll say is there’s no demand.’
‘No demand!’ echoed Tam, amazed. ‘No demand! Christ there’s plenty! Plenty uses the bloody place; and we never get a choice. Bloody terrible!’
‘Aye I know Tam.’ The Shop Steward gestured vaguely about the table.
‘You know? Christ every day of the week stew or mince. Bloody stew or mince all the time Gus! Bloody ridiculous! Surely they can give us a better choice than that?’
‘Well that’s what I told the manager and he. .’
‘Aye you’re right Tam, it’s a disgrace,’ called another man.
‘Aye and you’d be cheaper eating in a bloody restaurant,’ cried someone in the front row.
‘Aye you’re right there!’ agreed another.
‘Order!’ demanded the Chairman. ‘A minute! One at a time eh?’
‘Well the manager. .’ began the Shop Steward.
‘Fuck the manager — bloody mince — every day of the week since. .’
‘Bar Friday Tam, eh?’ cried a voice from the back.
‘Aye a bit of scabby fish. Bloody out of order.’ Tam sat back, arms folded and shoulders erect.
‘Well. .’ tried Brother MacDonald.
‘Christ!’ Tam looked somewhere over the heads of the committee.
‘Okay! Order!’ called the Chairman. ‘We’ve done all this last month, Brother Smith and Gus says the manager’s getting on to Head Office about it so we’ll just have to wait and see the score. Okay?’
Tam muttered something to his neighbour.
‘Okay?’ repeated the Chairman.
Tam shrugged.
‘Right,’ continued the Chairman. ‘Anything else?’
‘Aye Brother,’ grunted the old man who sat in the corner in the second front row. ‘What about the paper?’
‘Yes,’ replied the Chairman, amid laughter, ‘Correspondence Sammy, Correspondence.’
‘In a minute Sammy, okay?’ said the Shop Steward.
‘Aye well.’ The old timer rocked back and forth, nodding to himself.
‘Right then Brothers if that’s the lot. .’ The Chairman looked around but on seeing no more queries, continued. ‘Okay then. Brother MacDonald’ll read us the Correspondence.’
‘Well Brothers, not much tonight.’ He withdrew a few envelopes from his briefcase and began reading the contents aloud. No one interrupted this time. On opening the last letter he paused and glancing across at the old man, said with mock severity: ‘Concerning toilet paper.’
A few amused looks and one or two quips greeted the reading of this letter. It confirmed that in future an adequate supply of toilet paper (soft) would be provided, subject to the Shop Steward’s request on behalf of the branch members.
‘Okay Sammy?’ asked the Shop Steward.
‘Aye Brother. They better!’ added the old man darkly.
‘People are always knocking his Daily Record,’ whispered Dougie, ‘and using it to wipe their arse.’
Willie smiled without replying.
‘We had two delegates over to see our Brothers in Kilmarnock last week,’ the Chairman cleared his throat, ‘about their pay claim and. . Brother Reilly!’
‘Aye me and Boabbie went to see them at their meeting. They’re looking for 15 % and they’ll get it Lindsay says. He thinks they should’ve went for twenty.’
‘Hum,’ muttered the Chairman, then whispered something to MacDonald.
‘And that’s it more or less. Oh Sammy, Brother Lindsay was asking for you. Said to tell you him and Etty would be through to see how you’re doing.’
‘Aye Brother.’
‘How much we asking anyway?’ called a man from the back.
‘Fifteen Charlie,’ answered Brother Reilly.
‘That’s New Business,’ interjected the Chairman.
‘What we’re waiting for.’ Dougie spoke out the corner of his mouth.
Willie nodded.
‘Oh another thing,’ Reilly went on, ‘You want to see their facilities through there — snooker and table tennis and that. You want to see it! They run handicap competitions all the time and Lindsay says some of the staff goes in for them too.’
‘Aye we’ve had a few talks on this subject before Brothers,’ said the Chairman.
‘Aye,’ agreed the Shop Steward. ‘Remember the last one?’
‘Not likely to forget,’ said some men, grinning in appreciation.
‘Anyway if that’s it Brother?’
‘Aye, just thought I’d mention it,’ replied the Acting Secretary.
‘No harm done,’ said the Chairman. ‘Right Brothers. New Business.’
‘The pay claim!’ shouted Tam. ‘What about asking for twenty?’
‘No point Brother,’ answered the Shop Steward. ‘We’ve no chance of getting fifteen as it is.’
‘If Kilmarnock gets it — we better!’ remarked someone.
‘We’re already getting more than them. The management are just bringing them up to our level.’