AT THE HEART OF THE ROAD TRANSPORT INDUSTRY.

Call our Sales Team on 0208 912 2120

Lorry Drivers May Spearhead New Wages War

15th September 1961
Page 46
Page 46, 15th September 1961 — Lorry Drivers May Spearhead New Wages War
Close
Noticed an error?
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.

Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

FROM OUR INDUSTRIAL CORRESPONDENT

A THINLY veiled threat that Britain's lorry drivers may spearhead the resistance against the Chancellor of the Exchequer's wages pause if the Road Haulage Wages Council proposals are not accepted, was made at the Trades Union Congress at Portsmouth last week. It came ffiam Mr. Frank Cousins, general secretary of the Transport and General WorkecS' Union, which has the largest membership in ibe road haulage industry.

Coming from Mr. Cousins this is no idle threat. For it was he and the London busmen who fought the last wages freeze three years ago, and though he lost that fight through lack of support from other unions, this time there will be no lack of willing assistance.

Mr. Cousin's made his threat during the T.U.C.'s debate on the economic situation, in which speaker after speaker, from the platform and from the floor, attacked the Chancellor's policy.

Mr. Cousins said they had been accused of rejecting the policy, but that nobody was willing to run the gauntlet.

" I have already told the Chancellor on behalf of my union that when they put a resistance on wage adjustments where we have the strength to back the challenge up, we shalt take it up," he declared. "And we shall take it up with any employer."

He said they were not looking for who they could hit, but if a justified rise was resisted they would use every method at their disposal to obtain it.

He then referred to the Road Haulage. Wages Council proposals which were now subject to confirmation. "If they are resisted we shall use all our strength and it is in a place where we can use it," he declared.

It was generally agreed afterwards that Mr. Cousins could only have meant road haulage. It is a field with which he is familiar as a former national officer.

It is also a field which contains Many militant trade unionists. If there is to be a clash it may not be long delayed. The Road Haulage Wages Council is due to meet again next Thursday to consider objections to its proposals for a reduction of the working week from 44 to 42 hours and for increases ranging from 5s. 3d. to 6s. 3d. a week.

After that the proposals will go to the Minister of Labour, Mr. 'John Hare, for acceptance or rejection. And unless there is a change of Government policy in the meantime, this means that they will be sent back to the Council for reconsideration.

It is then that the trouble could start.

The T.U.C. also passed a resolution backed by the three railway unions deploring the Government's proposals for reorganizing the nationalized transport undertakings, "inasmuch as they preclude the possibility of an integrated and co-ordinated transport system which is essential to the economy of the country."

In particular, it condemned the Government's intention to abolish the British Transport Commission, to sectionalize the different parts of the nationalized transport undertakings, and to regionalize further the railway industry.

Finally, it instructed the T.U.C. General Council to take every possible ,step to reverse the present policy and promote a transport system in keeping with the principles contained in the 1947 Act.

M.P.T.A. Essay Awards

THE Municipal Passenger Transport Association announces the following results of its 1961 essay competition:— Section 1: 1, Mr. R. C. Edwards, assistant traffic superintendent, West Bromwich Corporation Transport; 2, Mr. K. H. Law, deputy chief inspector. Leicester City Transport; 3, Mr. W. G. Pennell, chief clerk, Darlington Corporation Transport. Merit Prizes: Mr. B. C. Clark, claims superintendent, Leicester City Transport; Mr. S. R. Parkinson, publicityofficer, Manchester Corporation Transport.

Section 2: 1, Mr. R. Sanders, bus conductor. Leeds City Transport; 2, Mr. A. Bates, bus driver, London Transport Executive; 3, Mr. D. Oliver, bus driver, Wigan Corporation Transport. Merit Prizes: Mr. J. A. Farrington. bus driver. Sheffield; Mr. S. Brown, bus driver, Wigan.

M.P.T.A. CONFERENCE: PAGE 218


comments powered by Disqus