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Passenger Holds Jubilee Meeting - r im silver jubilee luncheon of the

16th February 1945
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Keywords : Ernest Bevin

I. National Joint Industrial Council for the Road Passenger Transport Industry was held on February 8, the chair being taken by Mr. A. Monk, J.P. (also chairman of the Council), whilst the guest 6-f honour was Mr. Ernest Bevin, M.P., Minister of Labour and National Service •

The Council was formed in 1919, originally for the tramway industry, the title being changed to the present one in 1937. As showing the democratic nature of our industry, the chairman mentioned that in the early nineteen-hundreds he was a conductor with a corporation tramway undertaking, and that ,both he and Mr. Bevin started at 30. per hour After the war of 1914-18 came great competition with municipal transport from company buses, although there was no absolute divorce between the municipal and company interests.

At the beginning of this war there were serious differences, but the Council was a settling influence and enabled the industry to perform wonderful work, taking into consideration (the difficulties.

Alderman Walter Bradley, J.P., vicechairman of the Council, said that years ago the companies severed connection with the Council; now it is time that they came back, for the Council • must be really national, otherwise matters might be_arranged by bureaucrats without a full knowledge of the problems involved.

Mr. R. Stuart Pikher, C.B.E., general manager, Manchester Corporation Transport, and leader in the Council on the employers' side, thanked Mr. Bevin for doing so much to make the work of the Council successful. He thought it was right to trust in this body, which would have an even more important function in the future. If it did its work well there should never be a case for a strike or a lock-out.

Mr. H. E. Clay, acting assistant ' general secretary. Transport and General Workers' Union, said that the Council was a voluntary organization to meet the need for national negotiat ing machinery It was better than • something which might have been forced upon them. The machinery had developed so well that there was hardly • a,problem in which the Council could not render service. He had a great respect for its personnel.

Birth of the Council Mr. Ernest Bevin, in referring to the coming retirement of the chairman, • said thatthe Government was most anxious not to lose the experience gained in such great industrial councils. The idea for them was conceived, _ shortly before 1914, in a little ex-inn at Shipham, in the Mendip Hills. Here, the lead miners used to discuss their problems and endeavour to combine the best in the British character in their industrial relationS. One of their reports came into the hands of Mr. Lloyd George, and this led to the formation of the Whitley Committee, resulting, eventually, in this amazing development, which has occurred in no other country in the world. The policies settled by the industrial councils are much stronger than the law.

Transport, he said, was one of the most important things in the cost of living. It was like adding so much to the rent of people who lived in outer areas.

He was not advocating nationalization in this connection, but the subject required a real business approach. He could not see why there should not be joint transport organizations for such areas as, say, Manchester He asked why 'municipalities were so narrow and parochial. Why could they not get together and give up-to-date communal transport?

He invited any person to come forward with constructive schemes for transport. • All ideas would be wel

corned. There was never a better time than now, • for the Governrrient had recognized transport as being one of • the services vital to the future of the Nation. He hinted that industrial councils would, in future, play a vastly bigger part, and would have the right to investigate any subject pertaining • to their industries.

He made strong recommendations concerning the reinstatement of exService men. There were three main classes: (1) The ordinary man coming • back for his job. Everything would seem different to him, and he would not settle down unless treated carefully. He, therefore, asked managers to have patience for a few months.'

(2) The young inj.,n, perhaps from a secondary school, who may. have become a Lieutenant, Captain, or have received 'other promotion. His will be a big problem. . He will have learnt the art of leadership, but not that of industry. Therefore, it was important to give the young officer a special place, and he (Mr. Bevin) did not want this quality of leadership to be lost. Such a man would be disillusioned if he found himself right at the bottom. It might not be possible to put him at or near the top, but, at least, he should be given .a post with the chance of promotion. (3) The disabled man or woman. In a transport undertaking he or she would constitute a serious problem, but this should be made a special study. For example, a man with one leg can make an excellent driver if properly trained. On the conducting and repair side much could be done to employ disabled men and women.

He hinted that something like the Essential Works Order should be a permanent feature. It was nonsense to keep an sacking and taking on workers. With the councils, if a scheme does not work, there was no need to wait long periods for Parliamentary time; it could be adjusted at the next meeting of the Council.


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