Accepting the form, Chris released Juchster and asked, “What is it?”

Straightening his tie out with one hand, Juchster explained, “It’s an appeal form.   Fill it out and send it off to the address listed on the back.   Your appeal will be considered by an independent panel, and if they think you have been hard done by, they will allow you back onto the dole.”

*      *      *

2.

“Knocked him back for being too old,” said Gladys.

“I thought he was only in his twenties?” asked Frank.

“Twenty-two,” said Gladys, and he’s always been very good with figures, so a bank job would’ve been right up his street.   But the bastards said he’s too old, they’d rather hire a sixteen or seventeen year old who they could pay junior rates for four or five years.”

“Bastards!” agreed Frank.   “How’s a kid supposed to get ahead in the world if they won’t even give him a chance?”

“Yeah,” agreed Gladys, “nowadays they won’t hire you without any experience, but coming straight from school, how are you supposed to get any experience if they won’t hire you?”

“Catch-bloody-twenty-bloody-two!” said Frank.

‘Christ,’ thought Jack, ‘how’m I supposed to keep my food down with those two whingers doing their level best to make me throw up?   The boy’d land a job soon enough, if he really wanted work.   Probably got hair halfway down his back and wears blue jeans and T-shirts to job interviews, so he can claim to be looking round for work, without the danger of really getting hired!’

Jack looked round the canteen in the hope of finding himself a seat further away from Frank and Gladys, but the canteen was very small.   “The inbuilt closet,” as old Rossi had always called it.   There were four rows of rectangular steel-frame benches lined up like school benches.

Jack noticed old Gerda Spritz among the three women working behind the Formica-topped counter at the front of the canteen, preparing sandwiches and pastries to sell at lunchtime.   Three years Jack’s junior, Gerda had begun work at the factory the same day that Jack had, nearly forty years earlier.