• Integration Causes Rail Strike
Page 39
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ATHOUSAND employees of British Railways at St. Pancras station, London, came out on an unofficial strike on Monday against their union's agreement with the Railway Executive.
The dispute arose as a result of the British Transport Commission's policy of placing on rail consignments formerly carried by road between London and Glasgow. The Road Haulage Executive delivers container loads to the terminals and collects them. A similar arrangement between Manchester and London has been operated for some time.
The grievance of the men, who comprised porters, loaders, checkers and cartage staff, appeared. to be that although the work represented new traffic for the station, it was an encroachment by the R.H.E. into the railwaymen's collection and delivery services.
An R.H.E. spokesman told "The Commercial Motor" that the • men formerly employed on the tong-distance road haulage had been absorbed into other work. The vehicles would be cither transferred to other work or allotted to divisional pools.
MEET TROUBLE HALFWAY
A SUGGESTION has been made by 1-11, the British Road Federation that local authorities should note the roads most likely to become dangerous in had weather, so that action for early remedial treatment might be taken.
The B.R.F. cites an instance in which traffic was recently brought to a halt near London for two hours because of failure to clear a bridge. In another case, sand was spread on a level stretch, whilst a nearby hill was left untouched. Vehicles floundered and occasionally slid into the ditch.
FOUR-DAY WEEK FOR MANUFACTURERS
" FROM next Monday, many companies will be able to work only a
• four-day. week until more steel is available, which may be some time yet." This statement was made by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders on Tuesday. It went on to say that a fall in the imports of sheet steel from abroad and the effects of the armament programme had meant that the motor industry's supplies this quarter were being seriously reduced. Output of vehicles, estimated at 205,000 last quarter, might be cut by 15-20 per cent, in the next quarter.
Output of private cars is expected to be more seriously affected than that of commercial vehicles.
OLD VEHICLES—NEW LENGTH? EPRESENTATIONS have been IX made by the Passenger Vehicle Operators' Association, in conjunction with other organizations, to enable single deck buses registered before June I, 1950. to be modified to the increased length of 30 ft. now permitted for single-deck' vehicles registered after that dale.
ROAD-RAIL INTEGRATION
TO convey a diesel-electric locomotive from Newton-le-Willows to the Festival of Britain site in London, the Special Traffics (Pickfords) Division of British Road Services is using an 80-ft.long 14-wheeled vehicle upon which a section of rail track has been laid. The total weight of the outfit is 100 tons. The journey began on Tuesday and will take six days.