Warning on Productivity by London Busmen
Page 46
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
FROM OUR INDUSTRIAL CORRESPONDENT
.1-1 A WARNING to London Transport not to bring up again their proposals for higher productivity was given last week by unofficial leaders of London's busmen. They made it clear that they will not be willing to do a deal on such things as one-man buses in return for concessions on their claim, still to be submitted, for a 5s. a week service increment for each five years of service and a third week's annual holiday with pay.
Writing in The Platform, their unofficial journal, they say: "On this occasion when we ask for five shillings, we shall not be content to come out, after months of talks, with fivepence: nor are we ready to barter this claim in return for yet another tiptoe-through-the-tulips with the package deal.
"Every penny and every minute of our claim is a hundred times justified. We want it all, we want it now and we want it without strings."
The leaders claim there can be few jobs where length of service, increasing experience resulting in greater proficiency, go so utterly unrewarded in terms of pay. Resides the purely ethical and moral Mr. R. A. Bishop, director of publicity for British Motor Corporation and director and general manager of Nuffield Press, is retiring for domestic reasons at the end of July. He will be succeeded from August I by Mr. Brian Turner, deputy director of publicity for B.M.C. since 1960. Mr. Turner is succeeded by Mr. J. J. Field, publicity manager of the Nuffield Organization since 1957. Two new posts have been created as part of a drive to achieve still further co-ordination of B.M.C. activities at home and abroad. Mr, S. A. C. Haynes, publicity manager of Austin Motor Company since 1956. becomes B.M.C. publicity manager (home), and Mr. R. C. Harrison, deputy publicity manager, Nuffield Organization, since 1961, becomes B.M.C. publicity manager (export).
Because of the ill health of Mr. E. Joweft, chief engineer of Midland General Omnibus Co. Ltd. and associated companies, Mr. J. H. Phelps has been appointed chief engineer of these companies with effect from August I. Mr. Phelps is at present assistant chief engineer of Crosville Motor Services Ltd.
1VIr. Arthur G. Algeo, president of the Ulster Farmers' Union, has been appointed chairman of the Ulster Transport Authority, in succession to Mr. George B. Howden on the latter's retirement in September. At present Mr. Algeo is vice-chairman of the U.T.A.
n20 justification for a service payment, they claim that one is justified on "purely cold, hard, economic grounds ". The experienced and skilled bus crew was a better paying proposition than the inexperienced and unskilled one.