Coll 54/2 'Middle East (Official) Committee: Working Party' [‎270r] (539/642)

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from the Company e As at there were estimated to
he about 4,500 men engaged on the Company's work under these
arrangements and assuming an average rate of Ks* 4 per m<>n,
the commission amounted to about £3Q ? 00G per year. Mr.
Jordan realised the cost and risks of abuse of this method
of obtaining daily labour but referred again to his difficul
ties caused by shortage of staff. The matter was being
Investigated as pert of the expansion and reorganisation
of the administration and he had no doubt a suitable solution
would be foundo I had to leave the matter there.
PER SONNEL DEPARTMENT.
30 ft X was in close contact with the employees in this^
Department during my visit. With the exception of one (I£r.
Corbett) all had less than 1 yeor*s service with the Company
and none of them had had any previous practical experience
of personnel work or industrial relations* The latter
applied also to the Labour Officers at the various field
centres* Nevertheless, I was impressed by their eagerness
and general approach to their activities« But their newness
is a severe handicap to the Company when labour problems
of much complexity are arising. There were two strikes
during my visit and I was able to give seme guidance
regarding them. I spoke to Mr. Campbell (Asst. General
Manager) and Mr. Jordan on the matter and they realised
fully the position but referred again to the rapidity with
which they had had to build up their st^ff and the
difficulties of recruiting more experienced administrators
and employees with long experience of industrial and human
relationSo It is certainly a serious problem for the
Company and it is to be hoped that no serious labour uoheaval
will occur while the new employees are gaining knowledge
of the work. X know Mr, Chisholm the Chief Personnel
Manager of the Company in London and will have a talk with
him during my forthcoming visit. It is easy to criticise
but it Is not so easy to find solutions to the problems X
have described in this reporto
31o Several less important features into which X enquired
have not been mentioned but X hope X have described
adequately the essential background of the position of
Kuweit generally and the Oil Company’'s activities in particular
(SGD) M.T, AUDSLKY