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Union men hold °Li for coad minimurr

16th January 1976
Page 6
Page 6, 16th January 1976 — Union men hold °Li for coad minimurr
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

UNLESS a national minimum wage agreement for coach drivers can be negotiated, the Transport and General Workers' Union may take employers to the industrial court to secure parity in the industry.

Talks in London are aimed at establishing a formal coach wage agreement between the TGWU and National Bus Company subsidiaries.

Once such an agreement is set up by a joint industrial council, says the union, other operators can be legally compelled to abide by it under the House of Commons Fair Wages Resolution of 1946. This Resolution—the basis of the thinking behind Wages Councils—requires employers to pay wages in line with those set by negotiation between unions and employers representing a majority in any particular district.

Under Section 152 of the 1960 Road Traffic Act operators risk losing their road service licences for not paying " comparable " wages to those payable in connection with contracts with Government departments. Complaints to the Traffic Commissioners, if upheld by them or by an industrial court, can lead to an operator being regarded as in breach of his licence conditions.

The TGWU passenger services secretary, Mr Larry Smith, told CM this week that on a national level informal talks had been organised by the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS), to discuss with operators the possible introduction of a minimum wage for coach drivers.

Representatives from major coach firms, including National Travel, sit on the committee, although there is no representative from the coach operators' association — the Confederation of British Road Passenger Transport. Mr Alan Townsin, technical executive of the Confederation, told CM that the articles of the Confederation specifically excluded them from taking part in industrial negotiations.

This was put rather more strongly by Mr Larry Smith, who said that the Confederation "was just not interested" in having talks. He said he saw no reason why a joint working party should not be set up to discuss the matter.

The informal talks that have been organised by Mr Jim Mortimer, the chairman of ACAS, have also been attended by Mr Arthur Coxwell of the South West Joint Industrial Council for the coach industry. There has been f some years a wages agreeme between coach operators in t South West and the union. / Coxwell is also the weste regional secretary for the Cc federation of British Road senger Transport but is r attending in that capacity.

The TGWU believe that th could embark on a series cases taking individual coa firms to court once an offic joint agreement had be established. Although t National Council of the Om bus Industry covers t National Bus Company th( is no coach agreement w National Travel..

Mr Smith of the TGWU t( CM this week that he v more concerned to establ an official hourly rate thar minimum weekly wage, wh was open to abuse.

In the South West 1 negotiated rate for coz drivers has just risen to £38 for a 42-hour week, but Smith said that he was favour of differentials betw( urban and rural areas rat' than a national flat rate.


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