Please help. How to handle this nasty behaviour?

[Blond B]

My partner is 50. He has 26yrs experience in Engineering. He was laid off 18 months ago and is now re employed for a contract with the company who let him go. He needs the money and wants the work.The owners told him they hired him to push through a contract and take the pressure off another experienced member of staff who is 40yrs old and well liked in the company. My partner does not have any ambitions to climb the ladder,just wants to do the work and do it well and take the money and have his contract renewed. The 40yr old is on more money and has better qualifciations and does not need to be threatened. My partner does not want any of his work. However hes depending on the 40yr old for information and he is witholding it. The younger members of the team are bending to the 40yr old. My partner is hanging back and trying his best to stay out of it. He feels theres mind games ant that the 40yr old is deliberately withholding the info and does not want my partner in the firm coz of his experience. Yet my partner cannot confront the 40yr old, hes with the firm about 8yrs and my partner is with them re employed 4 days. Yet he cannot do his job without the info from the 40yr old. And he cannot complain to the owners, the 40yr old is well liked and is subtle in his withoulding info, just a nasty little creep. He also feels he cannot confront the 40 yr old. Please please give some advice on how to handle this. Bare in mind its a small office of about 9 people and they are in a clique, going to lunch together and really on side with the 40yr old and excludign my partner. Please help.