JOBS CRISIS
Families living in Linwood were struggling to make ends meet during the latter part of 1965.
Most households relied on the Pressed Steel factory in the town for their income but, 49 years ago, they were edging towards a winter of discontent.
Bosses shut the factory down after workers staged an overtime ban and workto-rule in support of a wage claim.
It was the 10th such dispute in recent months – and there were no winners, because, this time, Pressed Steel laid- off of 2,000 men.
One housewife told the Paisley Daily Express at the time: “We don’t know about industrial disputes and politics.
“Our job is to run our homes and look after the happiness of our children and husbands, but the past two years have been sheer hell. We should look forward to our husbands coming home at the end of a day’s work.
“Instead we wait in, trembling to hear that they are out again and it’s going to be another struggle to make ends meet. That’s no way to live.
“All we can do is pray that the trouble will end soon and we can get on with feeding and educating our children and making our husbands happy.”
One lady suffering from the uncertainty was Marion