More Talks on Municipal Claims
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From our Industrial Correspondent L'MPLOYERS and union leaders of Britain's 70,000 municipal busmen were due at the Ministry of Labour yesterday (Thursday) for another attempt to break the deadlock over the men's pay claim. Invitations had gone out to both sides of the National Joint Council for Road Passenger Transport to come to a joint meeting under Ministry auspices.
It was their first get-together since negotiations on the pay claim broke down. But in the meantime Mr. Tom Clam, the Ministry's Chief Conciliation Officer, has seen both sides separately. The result of the discussions must have been encouraging enough for him to recommend the Minister, Mr. Ray Gunter, to call the two sides together again. Mr. Claro or one of the other Ministry " peacemakers" was expected to be in the chair at the meeting.
There was no sign that the two unions involved, the Transport and General Workers' and the National Union of General and Municipal Workers, were any more ready to go to arbitration, for which the procedure agreement for the Council provides. The best hope seemed to lie, therefore, in direct talks with a little Ministry prompting.
Meanwhile, there has been a little progress. One reason why the employers were unwilling to make a pay offer was that they wanted to await the outcome of discussions by a sub-committee into a second claim for bonus payments.
The unions wanted a scheme on the London model, with payments based on passenger receipts and/or the carrying :..apacity of the various types of public service vehicle. They also wanted a 40-hour week—a claim being looked into by yet another sub-committee.
The bonus sub-committee met last week. No decision was reached, but it is understood that they are still thrashing out the problem. Quick agreement here would obviously help a general settlement. There is certainly a need for speedy action, as in defiance of advice from the unions busmen in one or two areas have taken unofficial action in support of the claims.
Lancashire People and Cities
LIVERPOOL has been chosen for the next in the series of regional "People and Cities" conferences which the British Road Federation is organizing; it will be 'acid on January 14 at the Blue Coat Thambers and will deal with urban Jevelopment in Lancashire.
The four main speakers will be Sir William Holford, Mr. Walter Bor, Livert)ol city planning officer, Mr. James Drake, Lancashire County Council's 3urveyor and bridgemaster, and Mr. D. G. 3tokes, managing director of the Leyland Motor Corporation. Mr. Stokes will ;peak on the implications of Buchanan.ype planning in the motor age.