Abstract of Victor Clyde WEST, 2024
Item — Box: 31
Identifier: H02330002
Abstract
H0233
VICTOR CLYDE WEST
Interviewer: Seona Craig
Abstracter: Judith Christie
Interview: 2 July 2015
TRACK One
00:00 Born 27 February 1939
01.30 BECAME BLIND in late teens, went to AUCKLAND to train, and then commenced work at the POST OFFICE in August 1967. No training given for Post Office work, shown the job by a senior telephone repairer. Work involved taking the phones apart and replacing broken parts, and then testing. Describes
06.00 Worked independently of assistance. Further description of process of repair.
09.45 Two workers, both blind. Post Office would not take more than two people. Vacancy for self created when another person returned to Auckland. Worked with the head telephone repairer.
11.30 MANUAL PHONES gradually disappeared, some sold off to people who wanted their own internal telephone line. Describes
13.30 Further description of repairing processes.
End of Track One
TRACK TWO
00.12 Further description of repairing processes.
00.30 BAKELITE PHONES disappeared in the 1980s, superseded by PUSH BUTTON PHONES with printed circuits. Special machine to test those phones on, called a COFFIN.
03.00 Further description of cleaning and repairing processes.
05.00 Ring tone was increased, as some phones had a quiet ring tone. Some phones were manufactured in New Zealand.
06.15 Push button phones called DOLE(?) and STATESMAN.
07.20 Some phones converted into MONEY BOXES to sell.
08.20 Once was told to take 1,000 phones to landfill. Some were in working order.
09.20 MADE REDUNDANT in September 1988 when section was closed down. Originally four workers, then two workers when section closed.
10.40 Originally with electrical section of the Post Office. When TELECOM formed, moved to work with the linesmen for a few months. After that were made redundant.
11.30 Tried unsuccessfully to find other work. Managed financially.
12.30 Kept in contact with workmates. Worked at the Post Office for 21 years. Enjoyed work there, and there was a good welfare scheme. More protection for blind people in the public service.
14.15 Post Office denied self access to further training. Damaging comments were placed on personal files.
End of Track Two
TRACK THREE
00.12 Self asked for his employee files to be released, and found DEROGATORY COMMENTS on them. UNION DELEGATE found them shocking.
01.15 Self tried his best to do his job, wanted to leave a good impression of blind people as workers.
02.15 Felt that people in high places didn’t want blind workers.
03.15 Another five years of work would have assisted self, but organization was streamlined and no way to get back in. Invercargill not a bit place to find opportunities for work.
04.00 May have been able to get back into the FREEZING WORKS INDUSTRY.
04.20 BLIND FOUNDATION going through a transformation at the time, and were unable to help to find work for self. WORKBRIDGE was not established. Difficult in the 1980s to obtain assistance.
06.30 Did not return to the workforce.
End of Track Three
VICTOR CLYDE WEST
Interviewer: Seona Craig
Abstracter: Judith Christie
Interview: 2 July 2015
TRACK One
00:00 Born 27 February 1939
01.30 BECAME BLIND in late teens, went to AUCKLAND to train, and then commenced work at the POST OFFICE in August 1967. No training given for Post Office work, shown the job by a senior telephone repairer. Work involved taking the phones apart and replacing broken parts, and then testing. Describes
06.00 Worked independently of assistance. Further description of process of repair.
09.45 Two workers, both blind. Post Office would not take more than two people. Vacancy for self created when another person returned to Auckland. Worked with the head telephone repairer.
11.30 MANUAL PHONES gradually disappeared, some sold off to people who wanted their own internal telephone line. Describes
13.30 Further description of repairing processes.
End of Track One
TRACK TWO
00.12 Further description of repairing processes.
00.30 BAKELITE PHONES disappeared in the 1980s, superseded by PUSH BUTTON PHONES with printed circuits. Special machine to test those phones on, called a COFFIN.
03.00 Further description of cleaning and repairing processes.
05.00 Ring tone was increased, as some phones had a quiet ring tone. Some phones were manufactured in New Zealand.
06.15 Push button phones called DOLE(?) and STATESMAN.
07.20 Some phones converted into MONEY BOXES to sell.
08.20 Once was told to take 1,000 phones to landfill. Some were in working order.
09.20 MADE REDUNDANT in September 1988 when section was closed down. Originally four workers, then two workers when section closed.
10.40 Originally with electrical section of the Post Office. When TELECOM formed, moved to work with the linesmen for a few months. After that were made redundant.
11.30 Tried unsuccessfully to find other work. Managed financially.
12.30 Kept in contact with workmates. Worked at the Post Office for 21 years. Enjoyed work there, and there was a good welfare scheme. More protection for blind people in the public service.
14.15 Post Office denied self access to further training. Damaging comments were placed on personal files.
End of Track Two
TRACK THREE
00.12 Self asked for his employee files to be released, and found DEROGATORY COMMENTS on them. UNION DELEGATE found them shocking.
01.15 Self tried his best to do his job, wanted to leave a good impression of blind people as workers.
02.15 Felt that people in high places didn’t want blind workers.
03.15 Another five years of work would have assisted self, but organization was streamlined and no way to get back in. Invercargill not a bit place to find opportunities for work.
04.00 May have been able to get back into the FREEZING WORKS INDUSTRY.
04.20 BLIND FOUNDATION going through a transformation at the time, and were unable to help to find work for self. WORKBRIDGE was not established. Difficult in the 1980s to obtain assistance.
06.30 Did not return to the workforce.
End of Track Three
Dates
- 2024
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Conditions Governing Use
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Extent
From the Record Group: 1 folder(s)
Language of Materials
English
Creator
- From the Record Group: Craig, Seona (Interviewer, Person)
Repository Details
Part of the Southland Oral History Project Repository
