In the first year we had to do all the unskilled jobs in the organisation, ranging from gardening to cleaning.While I was working as a porter in one hospital, there was a porters' strike. This was in the 1970s and it was a very different era of employee relations. It was a time of restrictive working practices, there was a lot of over-staffing and the unions had a huge amount of power. So working as a porter gave me a chance to look at the situation from both sides - employers and employees.I still try to do that in my present role.
At the time of the strike there was very little attempt to seek the views of the portering staff, so what could have been sorted out quickly dragged on because there was not the same level of management as we have today.
I adored my role because it gave me the experience of doing shop-floor jobs. Because it was a very practical training scheme, I saw how staff worked in the hospital. Even today I tend to be more practical than academic.
In my current role I deal with trade unions and this early experience of a strike gave me a real insight of how to do part of the job I do now.
