Despite intensive and persistent recruiting campaigns, I.ondcm Transport is short
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of a fifth of its platform staff requirements, VS hile for the first time there are significant shortages of Underground train operatives. As I,T pointed out last w eek in its annual report, London now lacks sufficient labour of the right calibre to staff its many public services properly, but none of the shortages affects so many people so frequently as transport cancellations. There is an argument for transport staff being regarded as a special case — IT chairman Sir Richard 'SN'ay last week called them the miners of London. At present Govrernment legislation prevents attractive wage increases from being offered, and -since there is no dividend for LT in paying more if other employers are free to do the same — any relaxation on this score would need to be one which put the transport worker at least a step ahead in the wage race.
But even this would not provide a lasting solution. One of the fundamental problems is that essential staff can no longer afford to live near their work, and with the unsocial hours involved in transport it is important that they should. London Transport is like other undertakings, well aware of the need. It already nominates 100 people a year, under a joint trade union 'management scheme, for membership of local housing associations, but this is a drop in the bucket, especially when provincial undertakings can poach staff with promises of housing.
Tied housing may be an unacceptable solution, and we do not know what "mixof company-built accommodation, prioritv renting or assisted-purchase LT may y et favour, but it seenis to us that providing staff housing — as is done on the Continent --is the most important move w hich could be made towards creating stable bus serv ices in the capital. And the quickest way of achieving this would be to offer mortgage assistance. for w Welt the Government w ould hay, e to waive its present Phase 3 ban.