Reading Evening Post: June 2nd 1970
Stable lads in holiday strike threat
LAMBOURN a major centre of the horse racing industry faces a complete shutdown on Bank Holiday race days if local stable lads decide to hold lightning strikes.
The threat was disclosed today by a member of the Transport and General Workers’ Union, which earlier this year led the fight on behalf of the stable lads at Lambourn to win a /2 a week increase in their minimum pay.
On Thursday, 160 lads representing two-thirds of the stable lads employed at more than 30 top class racing stables in West Berkshire. are to meet.
They will vote on the motion that they should strike on Bank Holiday race days as a protest against their employers’ policy of no extra payment or no holiday in lieu of working on a Bank Holiday.
Official
The Transport and General Workers’ Union is expected to be represented by a senior official. A stable lad said: “I am very angry and so are many of the lads who feel we are being exploited for hardly any pay on Bank Holidays”.
Bank Holiday race days are one of the biggest money spinners for the British racing industry. If the lads carry out their threat not to take horses from stables to race courses then it could have serious consequences for owners and trainers. A horse may be in peak condition for a particular day and if it is denied the opportunity to race its form might well deteriorate.
As it happens I first started my career in racing in Lambourne in 1962 .I worked for Mr.George Span and was paid £1:00 and my keep ! I worked 7 days a week and had every seventh weekend off ! At the time I loved every moment of my time working for Me.Span ,but on reflection it seems like the nearest thing to surfdom !as I only worked the hours as it was my love of horses that made me want to do the job .And I know that all my fellow staff did it for the same reasons, and we were all taken advantage of by the trainers who employed us to pay us as little as possible for the maximum rewards.