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Company busmen accept 10s—pro tern

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20th September 1968

Page 84

Page 84, 20th September 1968 — Company busmen accept 10s—pro tern

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from our industrial correspondent

• Garage delegates voted on Friday to accept an immediate all-round 10s. a week rise for 110,000 company busmen. They also approved rises of between 8s. and 10s. 3d. (3+ per cent) for 6,000 maintenance men, back-dated to July 1.

Union leaders warned, however, that they intend to submit two further pay claims within the next 12 months.

The first claim will follow payment of the £1 a week increase to municipal busmen "frozen" by the Government until December; the second will come next July when bonus payments for one-man bus operations are due to be reviewed.

Mr. Larry Smith, national bus officer of the Transport and General Workers Union, said: "At the opportune time, we will press for parity with the municipal busmen. Company busmen are now ahead for the first time, but they will fall behind again when the municipal busmen get their 1."

He said a demand for equal rates in thc company and municipal services would be in accordance with the recommendations of the Prices and Incomes Board. Last week's 10s. award was approved by the Government because a committee had been set up to examine productivity. It brings a driver's basic weekly wage to £13 4s. 10d. and the conductor's rate to £12 17s. Further productivity rises will be a subject for local bargaining.

Current earnings, including overtime and other extras, average over £20 for drivers and £17 to £18 for conductors.

The busmen's last increase was in May when rises of between 10s. and 35s. were approved for the acceptance of one-man buses and other productivity savings.

Maintenance men get their 3+ per cent as an interim award on the settlement of 15s. to 25s. Id. a week which was referred last week to the PIB. The Government says that this interim must be absorbed into any future rises resulting from the Incomes Board findings. The Board is to examine the scope for increased productivity to justify the full award.

There is still no settlement in the municipal busmen's dispute. TGWU leaders maintained their pressure at a meeting of the National Joint Council for the passenger Transport Industry on Thursday of last week against branches signing the "model agreement" proposed by the bus employers. They refused to ratify 13 local deals based on its terms.

The model agreement, which gives 10s. a week increase on basic wage rates backdated to December 6 1967 and 10s. bonus back-dated to June 13 was drawn up by the employers when the Government extended the freeze on the busmen's £1 rise until December. But the unions are demanding "minimum amendments" to its provisions.

The deals which came before last week's meeting have been approved by the Government. But payment is withheld until the unions agree to ratify the local settlements.

The National Joint Council decided to set up a working party to see if union objections to the model agreement can be resolved. About 700 Plymouth busmen who had been on strike for three weeks decided to return to work on Monday. The corporation agreed to pay the £1 rise back-dated to December 1967 when legally possible.