Y.S.C.O.A. Campaign Grows
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ASTATEMENT that approximately 60 per cent, of the 4,000 questionnaire forms sent to Yorkshire goods-vehicle operators by the Yorkshire Stage Carriage Operators Associas tion, in its campaign against the report of the National Joint Conciliation Board, have been returned, with the questions answered, was made by Mr., J. Keeling, at a meeting held 'under the auspices of the Yorkshire Stage Carriage Operators Association, at Sheffield, last Sunday. Mr. T. H. Burrows, president of the Y.S.C.O.A., was in the chair.
Mr. Keeling said: "We do not intend to accept the decision of the National Board. We are going to put our scheme forward as a basis for negotiations with the employees' side, but before we can do that, we must have a mandate from operators."
Predicting that the Yorkshire Area Board, at its meeting in Leeds, on Tuesday, would not -reach an agreement as to wages and conditions, Mr. Keeling declared that operators would then be recommended by the Association to pay the Y.S.C.O.A.'s scale of w ages. He assumed that a test case would then result, following a report to the Yorkshire Licensing Authority that an operator paying the Y.S.C.O.A. scale was not observing the report of the National Board. It would then be for the Authority to consider whether the Y.S.C.O.A. scale was recognized by good employers in the area, and whether it complied with the fairwages clause. If he thought fit, the Authority could refer the matter to the Industrial Court.
"We have not the slightest objec tion," Mr. Keeling proceeded, "to letting this matter stand over for a settlement until such time as we can come to some agreement with regard to haulage rates, and until we can come to some agreement on rates with the railway companies, if that be possible, but we cannot possibly see our way to recommend our members to pay even Grade 2 wages under the conditions laid down by the National Joint Con ciliation Board," • Mr. F. G. Bibbings, general secre tary, declared that if the National Board's report were forced upon the industry, a large number of operators would be exterminated. If the Y.S.C.O.A. had to stand alone in this matter, it would continue its campaign.
Before a resolution, supporting the Y.S.C.O.A. campaign, was put to the meeting, Mr. Dalgleish, a member of the National Board, and a member of the National Council of the Road Haulage Association, sought permission to say a few words, but the resolution was carried and the meeting closed.
Mr. Bibbings said that as the meeting had been called for a specific purpose, it was not open for speeches by anybody other than the platform speakers, but he would extend to Mr. Dalgleish the challenge which he had already made to Mr. J. France, another member of the National Board, to a public debate on the national report.
The Association is arranging for further mass meetings of operators at Hull, Leeds, Bradford, Sheffield, Skipton, Scarborough, Ripon, Wakefield, York, Dewsbury, Selby, Huddersfield, Barnsley, Halifax, Doncaster and Chesterfield.