THE TRAWLER OWNERS
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The majority of the trawlers sailing from Hull were owned by a few companies forming an association which owned almost the whole of the businesses connected to the Fishing Industry.
The firms were separate from the trawler companies, but the majority of the directors were also directors of the supply companies.
These included the Ice Company who had a monopoly to supply the fleet, as did the Ships Chandlers who supplied the necessary fishing gear and all the sundries.
All surplus fish which was not sold at auction on landing was taken to the Fish Meal Factory on the dockside for processing. This factory was also owned by the Trawler Owners, so that if there was a heavy landing on one day and the price might possibly drop, extra fish was sent to the Fish Meal Factory to inflate the price.
The fish livers were processed at sea and stored in tanks and on arrival in port would be pumped in to the Cod Liver Oil Company on the dockside, also owned by the trawler owners.
This organisation of companies means that practically the whole of the industry, both input and output, was in the control of just a few people. Bill Gates still has some way to go to emulate these "captains of Industry"!!
The employment of crews was also well organised. If a crew member was sacked for a slight misdemeanor he would be blackballed by the whole of the industry, and any crew member could be transferred between different companies without having any say in the matter. If there was a discepancy in a crew member's wages and he objected, the amount would be paid and he was then "beached", possibly, for a long time.
The crews were paid a low basic wage which was paid weekly to the wives, and a bonus calculated on the sale of the catch less the expenses(Ice,fueletc., plus the wive's drawings). If a poor catch was landed due possibly to bad weather or anything else which was outside their control, the crew, after several weeks at sea enduring foul conditions, could finish up in debt to the owners.
On the demise of the fishing industry as far as the distant water fleet was concerned, the industry was given millions of pounds to alleviate the suffering. The trawler owners promptly declared that the trawler crews were "Casual labour"and were therefore not entitled to any redundancy payments, even though many had spent their whole working life working for one company! After almost thirty years fighting this decision the present government is reconsidering its position.