Threat of Bus Pay Strike Grows Stronger
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FROM OUR INDUSTRIAL CORRESPONDENT THE threat of an official strike of
provincial busmen over their claim for higher pay and better conditions mewed considerably nearer during the past week. Two moves showed how employers and unions are moving rapidly towards a position where a conflict will be difficult to avoid. The first was the meeting, foreshadowed in The Commercial Motor, of employers' representatives of the private bus undertakings with senior conciliation officers of the Ministry of Labour. They were called to meet Mr. Peter St. John Wilson, chief industrial commissioner, and Mr. Torn Claro, chief conciliation officer, to put their side of the case. It is understood that they refused to reopen negotiations with the unions. The second move followed almost at once. It was a meeting of the executive council of the Transport and General Workers' Union, to which most of the busmen belong. Afterwards Mr. Frank Cousins, the general secretary, announced that they had agreed to give the busmen "any help possible " to get a satisfactory settlement. He said that the position was causing them "great concern." The council had given very serious consideration to the growing feeling of resentment developing among their members over the delays in settling the claim. They had been told that the employers regarded busmen as being in a secondclass job and disregarded the fact that they were getting substantially less than many other grades of workers. The union thought the claim was a reasonable one.
Mr. Cousins denied, however, that his statement meant that they would call a strike at once.
Much depends on a meeting due at the Ministry of Labour today.
Improvements in B.M.C. Vans
L'ROM today the ranges of Austin 152 and Morris 12 light commercial vehicles will be fitted with a new gearchange linkage and floor-mounted gear lever in place of the original steeringcolumn linkage and change, The new 'layout is available on leftand right-hand-drive models and is similar to that used on the Austin 10/12-cwt. and Morris 14 vans. Simultaneously with the introduction of the new gear change, payload rating of all 152 and J2 models is increased from 1.5 cwt. to 16/18 cwt., gross vehicle weight rating being 46 cwt. All prices are unchanged.
Bradford's Short 'List
BRADFORD transport committee have named a short list of six from 21 applications received for the post of general manager to succeed Mr. C. T, Humpidge, who takes over from Mr. R. G. Moore at Sheffield in May. The six are: Mr. R. Cox, general manager, Rochdale, Mr, F. A. Moffatt, traffic superintendent, Liverpool; Mr. T. O'Donnell. general manage, Ashton-under-Lyne; Mr. J Rostron, general manager, Grimsby and Cleethorpes; Mr. F. Thorp, general manager, Bury; and Mr. J. Wake, general manager, St. Helens.
ATLAS ACQUIRE REYNOLDS
TLAS EXPRESS CO., LTD., have rt acquired the business of Reynolds of Coalville. Mr. Reynolds, who has 11 vehicles, has for many years run a parcels service from his base to .Leicester. Northampton, Birmingham and the Potteries and has acted as delivery agent for Atlas in those districts beyond the radius covered by their Leicester-based vans.
TAKE-OVER
CHIESMANS, LTD., the removal conk" tractors of Lewisham High Street. London, S.E.13, have taken over the branch business of Durtnalls, ltd.. London Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent.