Smith was born around 1917 in Coventry and began work assisting female sewing machinists at Standard in June 1932 (she became a machinist herself at the age of 16). She joined the Transport and General Workers’ Union in 1934 and remained until 1976, chairing the local branch for many years. During the Second World War she was an inspector in the machine shop and became a shop steward. She was the wife of Jack Smith.
Subjects include: negotiation of piecework prices; greater job security provided by large gangs; demarcation disputes between gangs; advantages of gang system over measured day-work; victimisation of shop stewards in selections for compulsory redundancies in 1956 because of strike over automation in 1955; influence of communist shop stewards at Standard; qualities of Eddie McGarry, TGWU convenor.
Recorded on side A only. Currys C120.