7us Pay Trouble coming to the Boil
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FROM OUR INDUSTRIAL CORRESPONDENT THOUGH the Government wages lause is nearing its end, pay trouble bus industry is only just coming bo]. The municipal busmen put ir claim last week. The company en followed suit on Monday.
d even more important, the London en, -who are the pace-setters of the try, have now passed the second of their negotiations. They are in for more militant action following urn-down of their claitn for the cl time by the L.T.E.
an all-day meeting between the two on Tuesday, Mr. Anthony Bull, an Transport labour relations chief, ...ondon Transport could not accept there should be a general wage ise for their employees at the present or any. increase in pay for working .turdays. A " substantial " pay rise hue and a half for Saturday work een the two chief items in the busclaim. The third point was a claim !ss week-end work.
. Bull refused to go any further than Feat the offer of a scarcity allowance .is drivers and for a joint committee restigate week-end rostering.
more than six hours the union -s tried to persuade the L.T.E. to re its attitude, but without success. the meeting Mr. Sam Henderson, nal Passenger Group Secretary of Transport and General Workers 1, said there had been some emphasis
e pay pause and the London Transnegotiators had not ruled out that might be a change in their attitude ;re were an alteration in Govern policy. . .
w the next step is a report to the 's executive with a view, as • they , to "pursuing the demands at the highest possible level in the future."
This is likely to lead to a meeting between Mr. A. B. B, Valentine, chairman of the L.T.E. and Mr. Frank Cousins, the union's general secretary.
But the renewed rejection of the claim will strengthen the unofficial move for one-day token strikes to begin on January 29. This is supposed to be in support of London underground train. crews who have also threatened to strike on Mondays from that date. Unless there is some sign of an offer before then, there is even a chance that the strikes might be made official by the union.
So far as the provincial busmen are concerned, their claim is likely to hang fire until the L.T.E, have come to terms with their men.
Five-year-old Tests to Start Soon
PLANS to extend the roadworthiness test system to five-year-old cars and light vehicles are understood to . be scheduled for 'implementation later this year.
The present limit of seven years and upward caught. some owners by surprise when it . was imposed recently. The Ministry of Transport are likely to seek maximum advanced publicity for their new move once the date is decided.
Also under consideration is. a system whereby applicants for licence renewals will have to show a standard roadworthiness certificate. Failure to produce these by owners of vehicle seven years old or more will mean no licence.
This part of the scheme is understood to be under study for quick introduction probably before the summer surge of private motorists hits the roads.