Father to Son

Hitachi's Welsh plan

Father: Son, how'd you like to be a real Welshman and take over my job?

Son: Huh? I'm only 16.

Father: For once, pay attention.

Things haven't been going well down at the factory. Hitachi was the last big Japanese company to start making tellys in Britain. It got here after Sony, Matsushita and Toshiba. The factory at Hirwaun makes 300,000 sets a year, but Hitachi is losing money on it.

Son: So, what's that got to do with me?

Father: Listen, you. Hitachi modernized the factory, but the upshot of it was that 500 of the 1,300 of us were sacked.

Son: Yeah, I knew that.

Father: So then the bosses had to decide who would be let go. The company and the union finally chose people with the least seniority. That meant young 'uns, really, between 16 and 18.

Son: So you're O.K. You're 39.

Father: There's more. Hitachi found out that the average age of the remaining workers was just under 40. They got to worrying about that.

Son: Why?

Father: The age of the factory's work force is very important to the Japanese bosses. For them, the younger the better. They say that at Toshiba in Plymouth, the average age is only 24. Hitachi sent out a letter explaining why it wants a lower age. I have it right here. It says: "We can all accept that as we get older we become more susceptible to sickness, our reflexes become slower, our eyesight less keen and our attitudes difficult to change."

Son: Gee, Dad, you seem O.K. to me.

Father: So they came up with the idea of paying me and a bunch of the other lads severance to make way for younger workers. Mine amounts to $2,160, which isn't a lot. But to make it easier, they say I can give my job to a son or daughter who is at least 16. Now, since I don't have a daughter...

Son: So I'm it. How much does it pay?

Father: Only $66 a week to start. But you'll get a raise when you turn 18.

Son: Who thought up this one?

Father: Don't know. It looks like it was worked out here, between the factory managers and the union. The plan surprised the Hitachi people over in Japan.

Son: How many are taking them up on it?

Father: Besides me and you? Well, only about 20 so far. The newspapers don't like it. Look at this in the Daily Mail: YOU'RE TOO OLD AT 35. THE WELSH HAVE A WORD FOR IT--BUT IT'S NOT FIT TO PRINT. I saw this headline in the Times: "OVER HILL" AT 35 OFFER CAUSES FURY.

Son: Dad, do I have a choice?

Father: No. We need you to keep us in shoe leather. Off you go down to the factory. I'm for a pint at the pub.