Bus Pay Agreement
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FROM OUR INDUSTRIAL CORRESPONDENT
THE long-drawn-out bus pay talks are at last approaching settlement. After eight and a half hours' hard bargaining on Monday, union representatives won their claim for an equal pay increase for London Transport drivers and conduc tors. The L.T.E. have agreed to give 6s. 6d. a week more to both (they offered 7s. for central and Green Line drivers, 6s. for conductors) and. in addition, 5.000 maintenance staff arc to have a rise5s. a week for unskilled and 5s. 6d. for semi-skilled men. Now the offer, which will cost about £850,000 a year, goes to a special T.G.W.U. delegate conference, where the recommendation is likely to he accepted.
Meanwhile a major step forward was taken in the company busmen's negotiations last week. As reported last week, a riseof 6s. a week is going forward to thz full Council of the N.C.O.I., but since that report appeared the employer-union subcommittee has also reached agreement on holiday pay, the employers conceding that in future holiday payments should be based on average earnings, not on weekly wage rates. This means a driver or conductor will get an extra 16 to £8 in his pay packet before he goes on leave.
Municipal and London busmen arc now likely to seek similar concessions.
In the case of the company men, the money will be paid as a special holiday bonus. Their 6s. pay rise, around 3 per cent., will, if agreed, bring rates after 12 months' service to: £10 8s. 6d. for drivers. £10 4s. 6d. for conductors, 19s. 8d. for skilled maintenance workers and £10 Os. 3d. for semi-skilled.