'Unions Prevent Widespread Strikes"
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Court of Inquiry into Busmen's Wages , Dispute Told of Attempt by Companies to Obtain Injunction to Prevent Ministry Intervention
AN attempt by bus companies to secure an injunction to prevent the Minister of Labour from dealing with differences between the two sides of the National Council for the Omnibus Industry under the Industrial Disputes Tribunal, so inflamed the employees that it was only because of the unions that widespread stoppages were prevented.
Mr. Frank Coyle, secretary of the passenger group of the Transport and General Workers' Union, made this statement to a Court of Inquiry which met in London, on Monday, to hear both sides of the pay dispute between the bus companies and some 90,000 employees. "Many unions," said Mr. Coyle, "confronted with this attitude, would have resorted to strike action. We have at all times sought to solve industrial problems through negotiation, and failing this, by the accepted practice of arbitration."
The injunction referred to (The COIITmercial Motor, December 18, 1953) concerned an action by the Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Co., Ltd., and Wilts and Dorset Motor Services, Ltd., suing on their own behalf and on that of other companies represented on the National Council, to prevent the T.G.W.U., National Union of Railwaymen and other unions and union officials, and the Minister from referring certain disputes to any tribunal other than that provided by an agreement between the companies and the unions. The action was expected to go to the Chancery Division of the High Court in December, but in fact it was not heard.] 18s. 6d. Originally Wanted
Mr. Coyle said the unions first :tainted an increase of 185. 6d. a week, an on December 23 last, anxious to each a negotiated settlement, they )ffered to settle for not less than is. a week. It was apparent when they :eported the dispute to the Minister in qovernber that it could not be solved sy ordinary methods of negotiation.
Dealing with the constitution and mckground of the National Council, Or. Coyle pointed out that following :iegotiations started in 1945, a national :onditions agreement was adopted in Detober, 1947. "From that time on we had a national wages structure incl a national conditions' agreement tecepted by the National Council, and we contend that from then, individual ;ompanies had not the right to contract nit of national settlements."
He said the 4s. increase offered by. he employers in December had bee -1 mposcd, but before that the maximum wage rates for drivers were £6 10s.„ :onductors £6 6s., semi-skilled workers 'rom 15 19s. to E6 8s. 6d., and skilled workers, £7 2s. 6d.
He submitted a table showing that n-ovincial rates of wages for drivers in Alter industries ranged from £6 12s. to '.7 16s„ with many industries paying mwards of £6 16s. Skilled workers in
municipal undertakings were paid up to £8 5s.
Rates paid to bus drivers by the companies were not sufficient to compensate the workers for the type of work they did, nor for the responsibility accepted. The average wage differential between London and the provinces was much greater in transport than in other industries.
Drivers in other industries are paid more for normal day work than the bus driver is paid for continuous working seven days pf the week, with early and late hours and spread-over duties sometimes covering 14 hours," said Mr. Coyle. "Further, the public service driver has to show that he is physically fit for the job. The basic rate should compensate fully for the disabilities associated with the job. The employers claim that they can operate transport more effectively than the socially controlled undertakings. We expect them to pay equal rates, if not better."
Mr. Coyle pointed out that earnings in the transport industry, which were among the highest in the country in 1438, were now among the lowest, and they had not received the advantages of a shorter working week.
Claim for 7s.
He asked the Court to concede the claim for a 7s. increase, with retrospective effect from December 29 last and to express an opinion on the attitude of the employers in seeking individual arbitration. The employers were, he claimed, "the wealthiest in this country," but it was always difficult to negotiate with them.
Mr. R. P. Beddow, representing the employers, said they realized their responsibilities to the public, their employees and their shareholders, and they had no doubt that Mr. Coyle's references to troubles and strikes were much exaggerated.
He maintained that the national conditions were recommended by the National Council and incorporated in individual agreements between various companies and the Unions. There was no national conditions agreement between the two sides of the National Council, in the form of a contract of law. There was only an agreement setting out conditions for inclusion in individual contracts.
Dealing with the comparisons with other industries, Mr. Beddow maintained that drivers' wages were not such an important factor in other industries as they were in passenger transport, where wages of drivers and conductors formed the largest single item of cost.
He put the value of a free uniform and travel at about 8s. a week. Wages were never as low as the basic a 14s. (including the 4s, increase), even for a 44-hour week, because extra payments had to be made lot certain work which all had to perform.
London Transport had never before been quoted as an example. because it operated under different conditions.
Putting the employers' reaction to the claim, he pointed out that wage increases paid during the war and in the immediate post war period amounted to £27.25m., over and above a pre-war wage bill of it4m.
" The estimated annual cost of the 4s. increase, which the employers' side have recommended, together with the cost of time-and-a-half on Good Friday. is £1.35m., and an extra 3s. would increase that to about /2.35m,
Public Must Pay
Transport forms an important item in the cost of living, and any increase in costs must be passed on to the travelling public in one form or another. For some companies, that meant increases in fares, and for others increased fares would not bring in additional revenue, so heavy cuts in services would be necessary, involving dismissal of staff. and with an adverse effect on the mobility of labour," said Mr. Beddow.
He maintained that nothing had happened since the autumn of 1952 to justify an increase, except for a slight rise in the cost of living equivalent to an advance of just under 4s.
Referring to the unions' decision to report a dispute to the Ministry. Mr. Beddow said that the employers thought that if, at any time, one side or another of the council could refuse to arbitrate under its unexhausted machinery, and could procure some other form of settlement, there could be little confidence left in the council.
" The employers' side I are still anxious to uphold the constitution and authority of the national council," he said.
Mr. Beddow pointed out that on a similar claim the Industrial Court had awarded 4s. a week, with time-and-ahalf for Good Fridays, to emplcrcees of municipal bus undertakings. The inquiry continued on Wednesday. 'beceproceedings will be reported next u l k.