Bus Pay Talks—All Dates Fixed
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FROM OUR INDUSTRIAL CORRESPONDENT
ANEW round in the protracted pay negotiations on behalf of more than 200,000 busmen up and down the country begins today with the resumption of talks at London Transport. They will be followed by the municipal bus companies on March 8, and the private companies five days later.
As forecast in The Commercial Motor last week, today's resumed talks are the • result of the meeting between Mr. Frank Cousins, general secretary of the Transport and General Workers' Union,. and Mr. A. B. B. Valentine. chairman of London Transport.
Though no definite proposals appear to have been made. on either side, the " climate " seemed to have improved sufficiently to make it worth while for the union to ask the L.T.E. to resume negotiations on their twice-rejected claim. And with the "top brass" having smoothed the way, it was expected that the claim would be handed back to the normal negotiators, Mr. Anthony Bull, of the Executive, and Mr. Sam Henderson, national passenger group secretary of the union.
On the union side there was a clear expectation that a definite offer would be made this time on the claim for a " substantial " pay rise, time-and-a-half on Saturdays, and less week-end working. At their previous meetings the most that London Transport were prepared to offer was a "scarcity allowance" for drivers and a joint committee to look into week end rostering. —
To London Transport it must be obvious-that some'sort of offer will have to be made if there is not to be trouble among the busmen. . It was, after all, largely the hope of an offer that kept the busmen at work when the Underground men went on strike recently. There is not likely to be similar restraint if no money is to be forthcoming after all.