The British Withdrawal: Fifty Years On

 

Imagine your first job which is also your last!  

That was what many of our parents experienced when they were employed at the Naval Base 'On Her Majesty’s Service'(OHMS). Their terms of employment were modest and were primarily based on the ‘British Old School Theory,’ where employees enjoyed stability and the Admiralty earned loyalty and other vital conditions necessary for a successful naval organisation.

Rank and File

The British were generally employee-friendly and rarely pulled rank. Their philosophy of promoting staff from the rank and file was the meritorious route to success which some organisations are reportedly considering returning to. Thus, the past always lends itself to the present.

Playing Field

In addition to hiring staff, based on technical and academic qualifications, they were also aware that sports instilled qualities that can benefit organisations. Hence, sportsmen and women were selected for positions within the organisation. Heads of Departments (HODs)  believed that qualities of teamwork, fair play, leadership, camaraderie in the arena of sports could be transferred to the work place, which resulted in a more cohesive and productive workforce.

In view of this, various departments were encouraged to host regular sporting events such as the popular Dockyard Football League, Dockyard Medical Badminton Party Tournament, Annual Police Sports Day, Cricket Tournament, hockey and so on. In addition to these ‘in-house’ events, teams represented HMS Dockyard  in competitions beyond the Naval Base. Perhaps at a broader level, these on-field qualities of diversity and playing in harmony transcended off-field, influenced people from different cultural backgrounds to live as one family in the Naval Base.

FAMILY CULTURE

This sense of camaraderie was also present in the workplace.  The Admiralty fostered a family culture by employing children of staff members, who met the selection criteria thus making their hiring process based on  ‘insource’ rather than ‘outsource’.

The British were very sympathetic towards grieving families who had lost their breadwinners to sudden death. So they offered  employment to the spouses, which enabled the families not only to continue living in the quarters but also returned to their normal lives with minimal disruptions.  Housewives, who were unaccustomed to socially interacting in a male dominated world and lacking confidence, quickly adjusted to the new system, aided by a familiar workplace close to home,  staffed by warm and friendly colleagues coupled with sympathetic superiors On Her Majesty’s Service.

Celebrating 50 Years of British Withdrawal.

Thanks to Ambika Raghavan for Editorial Supervision & Headline.

Copyright of Alfred Dass.

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