An NFO could mean bitter disputes
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THE NFO could become the medium of bitter disputes between the Railways Board and road hauliers, said Mr. Tom Bradley, Labour MP for Leicester North-East, at the Trades Union Congress last week.
He was proposing a resolution—as Transport Salaried Staff' Association president—calling for the Minister to include in her Transport Bill:— • An overall authority to co-ordinate the whole of nationalized transport.
• Further selective nationalization of privately owned road transport undertakings.
• A review of the licensing system, with a view to stricter control of C-licences.
• The appointment to the various boards of people who have evinced a positive belief in public ownership.
• A central body empowered to negotiate conditions of service and rates of pay for all staff coming under a national freight authority.
Mr. Bradley welcomed the stress laid in the Minister's published proposals on the role of public transport. The identification of rail losses with meeting social obligations was necessary; and the rail network plans provided over 40 per cent more mileage than those of Dr. Beeching's.
There was anxiety over the plans for integrated freight transport, said Mr. Bradley. If Freightliners, their depots and cartage fleets were extracted from the railways the NFO could confront customers with a single unit.
"Will it guarantee a sensible use of the rail network?" he asked, and stressed that the railways could not be "relegated to the status of general hauliers".
'Buy more firms' The Minister's proposals for an advisory body did not go far enough. She felt that a national transport authority would be unmanageable, with too large a rail element as against road. Mr. Bradley thought the Minister should accelerate the selective purchase of road haulage companies.
On the licensing proposals Mr. Bradley said he feared many C-licensees would be tempted to tout for return loads at marginal rates. He endorsed the TUC views (see below) on this subject.
Officials of public transport boards had to be dedicated to public service ideals, said Mr. Bradley. "I hope the Minister will appoint people with training in the industries concerned. Anti-socialist managers and neutral Civil Servants would destroy morale."
The resolution was accepted unanimously by Congress.
Dial POInter for profit cheer
POINTER Group Holdings Ltd. has ordered a £10,000 automatic branch telephone exchange for its Norwich head office from Telephone Rentals Ltd. Equipped with 80 lines and racked and wired for 150 extensions, it should be completed by January, 1968, and will replace a 10line board, with 50 extensions, which is often overloaded.
And last week Pointer announced for the first six months of 1967, the highest Group profit (£370,842) for any half year. Pre-tax profit was nearly 40 per cent higher at a record figure of £171,602 (1966—£122,738).