The Canneries Working conditions at the factory

The following are extracts from a report of the Christian Working Youth on the subject of the Douarnenez fishing canneries. Buildings We deep cleanse the buildings every 4 to 5 years (painting-whitening), especially in the canning section and outside. That is what visitors and tourists first see… In contrast, some of the other sections are never cleaned or whitened: for instance, the areas where the reserves are kept -the stocks cannot be moved to perform this operation. Generally, the walls are clean, but not ornate, except at A. Chancerelle & Lemarchand (statues, crucifix …). At A. Chancerelle broken glass windows are not replaced: they are filled with cloths, cardboard. Changing rooms There are no dedicated changing rooms, that is to say independent rooms that are separated from the work space: clothes are hung wherever possible. At Paulet, Le Ray: changing room are well designed, separated from the working places. And this is paramount, because frying fumes stick to the clothes and hair. If a girl does not wash her hair with shampoo after changing her clothes, she will smell of the factory.

WCs As with changing rooms, it is the same factories that made an effort on this aspect: WCs are clean and private. Elsewhere is a lot of carelessness: WCs are filthy, with no flushing system, unisex and sparse. At A. Chancerelle, there is one WC in the factory next to the crimpers (horrible smell).

Wash rooms There usually are wash rooms in the factories, but cold water does not do much to get rid of the grime and neither soap nor towel are to be found (these items were the preserve of men who worked all year long in the factory…and who hid them) If there is no soap it is often because the women stole it as soon as it was on display. In the wash rooms, taps are rare…at Paulet, there were private showers used by the staff on Saturdays, because there was hot water. Elsewhere there are none.

Refectories Some factories have well organised and spacious refectories for the entire staff. Others only have a simple room with tables and benches. Others have no room at all; staff eat on work tops. At G. Chancerelle, 70 women eat in the canning room (over 100 workers approximately). There are only 2 cookers to cook. At Pichery, 4 or 5 women eat at the factory. No cookers. Workers reheat their food on autoclaves. At Audren women eat cold for the most part since it takes too long to heat the food. There are only two cookers.

Ventilation At Lemarchand workers worked in-between two doors, in the draught. In most of the factories there is a draught. At Lemarchand fish is cooked in charcoal ovens, hence the necessity to ventilate: the 20 windows around the charcoal ovens are open, and yet the charcoal discharge causes headaches and suppresses appetite. The workers thus work in an unhealthy environment. The factories are old, roofless, and therefore cold in winter. The draught, the cold, are almost inevitable in factories; with no solution to remedy the problem.