Busmen await answer to pay claim
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• Local authority bus employers are to reply on January 30 to a union claim for 45s a week rises for 70,000 municipal bus drivers and conductors—about a 15 per cent addition to basic rates and more to earnings. It was submitted last month by the TGWU which sought a "substantial" increase. The union argued that such rises were necessary to bring busmen's rates up to the same level as other local authority drivers on similar vehicles who had a major pay award in the autumn.
In 1968, the municipal men had their Ll a week rise "frozen" for 12 months by the Government incomes policy. But they eventually got back-dated rises covering the whole 12 months' period.
Since these increases they have been awarded 14s on basic rates bringing the drivers' minimum to 14 11 s and the garage staff to £13 6s 9d for a 40-hour week.
The last pay rises, in May 1969, were expected to last 12 months—until this May—but the TGWU is now anxious to get an early reply so that it can submit further claims for 120,000 company busmen and 28,000 drivers and conductors working for London Transport.
Sir Richard speaks
• Sir Richard Way, chairman of London Transport Executive, is to be the speaker at the informal luncheon of the Institute of Transport on Tuesday February 3 at the Connaught Rooms, Great Queen Street, London, WC2.