Hall of Fame

Gerda Buhl - an ardent campaigner

For nearly 30 years, Gerda Buhl was synonymous with welfare work at the cleaning company. She made an enormous contribution to improving working life for the employees. She lobbied for the female workers with remarkable tenacity in a male-dominated business.

Miss Buhl devoted much of her time to paying home visits to the workers. Through these visits, she became aware of the workers' day-to-day problems. She took the initiative in setting up both a relief fund for the sick and a voluntary savings fund. Miss Buhl also managed to send workers off on much-needed respite holidays through the National Council for the Unmarried Mother and Her Child.

Miss Buhl was enormously popular, but also known for her fierce temper. Asked directly about her temperament on the occasion of her 25th anniversary with the company in 1965, she retorted: "Yes, that's right, but it's always in a campaign for the welfare of others. I want everything to be as just as possible for everyone I deal with, and I probably don't always express things in the most diplomatic turn of phrase."

< Back