Mr. Cousins Again Scorned by London Busmen
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LONDON'S " rebel " busmen, a militant thorn in the side of the Transport I-4 and General Workers' Union, have again rebuffed their leader, Mr. Frank Cousins. His call for restraint in wage demands met with scornful rejection on Monday, and now the London Transport Executive are being asked to reconsider the claim by 53,000 workers for a 25s. a week pay increase.
Only a few months ago, Mr. Cousins advised a united front by all bus workers in their quest for increased wages. Delegates from London garages, smarting under the .decision to reduce the pay differential between the provinces and the capital, refused to co-operate. Their latest move, casting aside a plea for arbitration, has put Mr. Cousins in possibly the most embarrassing position of his Union career.
With the knowledge that public sympathy is not behind the workers this time, the L.T.E. arc unlikely to alter their outright refusal to spend an extra £4m, a year on wages. In this event, the busmen will clamour -for industrial action. which would mean either a complete strike or a ban on overtime.
What will Mr. Cousins and his colleagues do, now that the L.T.E. and the publieare aware that he is not in favour of a strike? This dilemma reflects the unmistakable challenge to his leadership from the Union's most aggressive quarter.
If he forbids a strike, his Union career will be jeopardized, If he agrees to push the question with the L.T.E., he will be in an almost impossible bargaining position.
Monday's delegate conference passed a resolution declaring that "should the L.T.E. refuse to continue negotiations, an application be made for plenary powers to enable us to take steps to enforce the claim." By the time the L.T.E. have drafted their reply, a new Union executive will have been elected, and it will be for them to decide whether to authorize strike action of any kind.
It has been known for the executive to throw out strike proposals even at that late stage, which is a ray of hope both for the L.T.E. and for Mr. Cousins. But the fact that the busmen once broke away and formed their own union will he a warning that they arc not to be trifled with.
In any event, there can be no real progress until the New Year, and according to Mr. H. R. Nicholas, the Union's assistant general secretary, " all sorts of straws blow in the wind."
£4m. CAPITAL FOR SIMMS
SHAREHOLDERS of Shnms Motor h' Units, Ltd., will be asked at a special meeting on December 31 to approve a change in the company's title to Simms Motor and Electronics Corporation, Ltd., an increase in capital from £900.000 to ielm. and the capitalization of £1,440,001 10s. in a two-for-one scrip issue.