# Marconi Payscale



## odobber6 (Mar 1, 2011)

I worked with Marconi from 1970 - 1972. Does anyone remember
what the monthly pay was for an r/o.
I just do not remember what it was. I just know it was the reason I went freelance.
Any recollections?

Denis OBrien


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## Papa Bear (Apr 15, 2007)

Hi Denis, I have a partial pay list for Grade 1 MIMCO R.O.'s, over 3 years sea time. It starts with a minimum of 81 pounds 15 shillings. 21 years plus grade 1 service was minimum 124 pounds 5 shillings. Hope this helps.

Cheers John L.


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## Baulkham Hills (Jul 11, 2008)

Hi 
I remember my first months pay with MIMCO in 1968 was 62 pounds per month. This was as Jnr R/O. My last ship in MIMCO in 1970 was 74 pounds, not a lot of money and I was the lowest paid on board for sure, went freelance after that and easily doubled wages.

Cheers


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## Steven Lamb (Apr 18, 2009)

odobber6 said:


> I worked with Marconi from 1970 - 1972. Does anyone remember
> what the monthly pay was for an r/o.
> I just do not remember what it was. I just know it was the reason I went freelance.
> Any recollections?
> ...


Me too !
Saw the light and did a runner in 1979 to triple my money (virtually) overnight tax-free. That said, I enjoyed my time with them for the selection of ships on offer. 
Just wish i'd of taken my college mate's advice (Rob McNair / fm Derby) and followed him out of Marconi sooner.
Kicked-off in 74 on £101 per month as a Junior - still got my 1st payslip !

Rgds / 73's
Lamby
(Ex-Mimco 24483)(Hippy)

P.S. If anyone knows of Rob's whereabouts these days pls drop me an e-mail - tks


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## Tai Pan (Mar 24, 2006)

I started in 1950 at the magnificent sum of £20 per month. 18 months later at Blue Funnel it was £32.


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## Bob Murdoch (Dec 11, 2004)

April, 1958, I started with MIMCO on £32 per month, I sem to remember it went up to £36 due to Union a couple of months later. I also enjoyed my time with Marconi. The money was great for a 16 year old with no responsibilities and you never knew what your next ship/run would be. I realise it would not be the same for older guys, especially if married.
Cheers Bob


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## cajef (Feb 8, 2012)

Started with Marconi in June 1963 on £48 a month went up to £52 after six months, I thought it was good as one of my pals worked in a bank and was earning £30 per month.


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## harryredvers (Jan 17, 2012)

4
1979 £101/month. I enjoyed my time with them for the selection of ships on offer. 
6
April, 1958, I started with MIMCO on £32 per month, I sem to remember it went up to £36 due to Union a couple of months later. I also enjoyed my time with Marconi. The money was great for a 16 year old with no responsibilities and you never knew what your next ship/run would be.
7
Started with Marconi in June 1963 on £48 a month went up to £52 after six months, I thought it was good as one of my pals worked in a bank and was earning £30 per month.


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## harryredvers (Jan 17, 2012)

Sorry. Hit the wrong button. Here's what I meant to post.
After 2 years at college and with PMG2 I joined MIMCO as a jnr/trainee r/o at £32/month in 1962. 
When I left MIMCO in 1968 it was a bit more perhaps about £74/month. I imagine I was still the lowest paid item on board. By comparison in 1968 I worked as a test technician for MWC in Chelmsford for £17/week, and no longer 'all found'. 
Sure MIMCO (BoT based rates of pay) were, as the mate on the Souter tanker 'Thirlby' c.1964 liked to taunt me - 'peanuts'. Like Stevel Lamb, nr.4, and Bob Murdoch, nr.6, I enjoyed my time with MIMCO for the variety of ships I got. I can also resonate with cajef, nr.7, but I draw from my own experiences: Left school with 'O' levels in 1958 and worked on the railways as a passenger clerk (£3/week); 1959 apprentice colour matcher in a textiles mill (£5/week). Decided to train for r/o so became a machine minder in light engineering working nightshifts (£7 to £9/week); then moved to labourer in a bakery doing 6-day week 12-hour shifts (c.£12/week on days shift and c.£14/week on night shift).
Swallowed the anchor in 1968 (ref:MWC as above) but by 1969 was again a labourer in a warehouse (£11/week) then in 1969 became a postman/driver and by 1971 (£20/week) gained promotion to Telecommunications Traffic Officer, PO Telephones (£21/week).
I regurgitated the anchor in 1973 (with MRGC) and joined Cunard-Brocklebank (c.£80/week). Oh the bliss, I was no longer the poorest paid dogsbody. "Why are you paid more than me", an electrician once wailed. "Because they got me and my certificates", I answered. While serving in ACT3 in 1975 a pay increase, seemingly out-of-the-blue, informed us that we had crossed the £100/week mark. It did occasion the chief engineer, whose longevity went back to Baltic ball-bearing runs in WWII, to caution the temperance of hilarity with a modi*** of reserve by observing, "We might be pricing ourselves out of a job." Left C-B in 1979 on c.£11,000 p.a and was briefly a relief pub landlord (£3,000 p.a). Went free-lance in 1980 (c.£11,000 p.a) till 1982.
I think there's an element of perspective in all this.
On my first ship an electrician told me, "The MN is ok while you're young and single". Many years later I was passing through Waterloo Station and I got into conversation with a an oldish man. He turned out to have been a bomber pilot during the war and then a civil airlines pilot. I don't remember how it came about but he said that in the forties nobody was paid much and I've often thought that that culture existed in British society well into the 1970s. That was the decade which started with labour muscle versus 'stand on your own two feet' conservatism and went out with full-blown Thatcherite monetarism as well as the maritime transportation revolution aka accountants running the asylum


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## Ivor Lloyd (Jul 18, 2005)

I started with Marconi in 1942 on £9-17-6d per month
Ths was augmented with the payment of a War bonus of £10 per month whilst at sea..
Ivor Lloyd
R297868


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## odobber6 (Mar 1, 2011)

*Marconi payscale*

Thank you all for your responses. I know have a rough idea of how much I was paid with MIMCO. My kids had been asking how much my first paycheck was so now I have the answer.
Regards
denis OBrien


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## ernhelenbarrett (Sep 7, 2006)

Started with Marconi in 1954 on 23 quid monthly except out on the Indian Coast
where you got 100 silver rupees per month which worked out at 7quid per month to survive on, lucky I was with B.I. and not on one of the Indian MN ships which a lot of Marconi men were on. Came out to OZ with AWA in 1960 and started off on 98 quid (Aussie pounds) monthly PLUS OVERTIME !! Unheard of in Marconi.
Ern Barrett


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## Steven Lamb (Apr 18, 2009)

Great to read some of the "laments" from ex MIMCO men regarding pay.
Does anyone know how much they charged shipowners per month for our services ? Guess it varied from client to client.

Cheers
Lamby


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## Troppo (Feb 18, 2010)

AWA charged 10% on top of the R/O's salary from memory..

In Australia, our pay rates (like everyone else on the ship) were set by the award system - mind you, if AWA could have paid us less and pocketed the difference, they would have...


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