Big Scottish Federation Coming
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Unity Drive in Scotland Revealed before Government Wages Committee. Ancillary Users to be Forced to Pay Recognized Wages? Stabilized Wages as Basis of Agreed Rates Structure
I NTIMATION that a federation of all
Scottish associations interested in the haulage industry would -shortly come into being was made by Mr. Thomas Worsley, secretary of the Scottish Conciliation Board, when giving evidence, at Edinburgh, on Monday, before the committee appointed by the Ministries of Labour and Transport to inquire into wages and conditions in the roadtransport industry. Sir James Bane presided, accompanied by Sir Gerald Bellhouse and Mr. John Forster,
A memorandum . was submitted to the committee by the Scottish Conciliation Board setting forth the history, constitution and personnel of the Board, and describing the interim wages decision in operation since July, 1935. It was admitted that the Board's decisions had not been applied generally, so far as wages and conditions were concerned, whilstthe Fair Wages Clause was also notbeidg generally observed, Various methods of evading the Board's decisions were employed.
The Board's Recommendations.
In the memorandum, the Board suggested that the function of the licensing scheme should be confined to
the regulation and ,governing of seevice, as otherwise some of the considerations put before Licensing Authorities by the railways might result in ashortage of competing transport. The Board recommended the stabilization of wages, complete and compulsory organization of employers and employees in the industry, incorporation of all associations into, one federation, enforcement by law, of the Board's decisions regarding wages and conditions, and rates control, The Board stated that many Clicence holders violate the terms of their licences by carrying goods for hire or reward. -Ancillary users should not escape the control on drivers' remuneration, as at present.
Witnesses on behalf of the Scottish Conciliation Board were Mr. T. Worsley-, secretary ; Mr. I. R. Grove, representing the employers' associations, and Mr. P. Webster and Mr. J. Veitch, representing the employees' associations.
Mr. T. Worsley, in reply to questions by the chairman, said that the Board represented some 60 per cent. of Scottish road hauliers. They had set up an independent Board in Scotland because they thought they had a large enough area, because their method differed from those in England, and because there was a different legal procedure north of the Tweed. The Board had not graded wages, as in England, but had set up a uniform standard. The interim decision had been made permanent for three years, but it was being violated lioth as regards wages and hours of work.
Mr. Worsley blamed the ownerdriver and the small operator for sometimes forcing hauliers to pay less than the agreed wages. .
Sir Gerald Bellhouse said that they might have Grade 1 wages paid in Newcastle and Grade 2 in Glasgow (the Scottish rate is equivalent to Grade 2), and operators in both cities competing for the same ty.ffic. Was it fair?
Mr. Worsley replied that in Scotland they thought it would be cumbersome to have local negotiations carried on in London.
Mr. Worsley added that the Board originally had been set up rather arbitrarily. There might be some who did not think that it represented the in dustry properly. It had, however, sought to express the views of the industry as it had been able to find them, The Board could, of course, be reconstituted, and its decisions then made binding.
70 Per Cent. Paying Agreed Wages.
Mr. P. Webster said that in the industrial area of Scotland the agreed wages were being paid in approximately TO per cent, of cases, but the overtime conditions were being violated greatly. In rural areas only about 20 per cent, of the operators honoured the decisions. The Board wanted some method of making payment of agreed wages compulsory.
Mr. John Forster (member of the committee) suggested that it was usual to differentiate between town and country wages.
Mr. Webster replied that carrying in Scotland mostly pivoted around four or five great centres. There was really no difference, from the transport point of view, between town and country.
Mr. Worsley said that the operators were looking at the matter from the point of view of stabilization of rates. An operator with his base in Dumfries and travelling to Glasgow should be charging the same rates as one with his base in Glasgow and carrying to Dumfries. Therefore, the wages should be the same.
Mr. Worsley said that he advocated one federation for all employers in Scotland. They had arranged for such a scheme and it only awaited ratification from one body. There would be county representation and the organizltion would arrange wages, rates and everything pertaining to transport. A provisional constitution had been framed, the initiative having been taken by the three large national associations. They expected all the other bodies to be represented on it in a few months.
Dealing with rates, Mr. Worsley said that there could be no co-ordination of transport services without stabilization of rates. He saw no real difference between road and rail services so far as sundry traffic was concerned. If there were complete organization, a rates structure for Scotland could be built up and submitted in a month.
Mr. jEl. Bullock, national officer, and Mr. J. McKenna, Scottish organizer, for the National Union of General and Municipal Workers, gave evidence regarding failure to pay the agreed wages and observe the agreed conditions in Orkney. Mr. McKenna alleged that in the Orkney Islands, many men were driving vans in addition to their ordinary duties.
The Dumfries and Galloway Road Haulage Association were represented by Mr. C. M. Hyslop, secretary, Mr. James Dickson, Mr. H. Mulheuch, and Mr. J. H. Martin. Mr. Hyslop criticized the decisions of the Board on wages and said it had proceeded without any adequate investigation into conditions in rural areas.
Drivers employed as Salesmen.
When the committee resumed its sitting on Tuesday, evidence was led by witnesses appearing on behalf of the Scottish Federation of Grocers and the Provision Merchants' Association. A memorandum was submitted pointing out that drivers in these trades were employed primarily as ,salesmen and that their actual driving timewas short. The Federation representatives were led by Mr. H. J. Dryer, who stated that drivers employed by certain firms and engaged ,purely on delivery work were in receipt of wages approved by their trade union. It was claimed that the wage rate prescribed by the Board should not apply to those engaged on transport in these trades.
A similar contention was put forward by representatives of the Scottish Federation of Aerated Water Manufacturers and Bottlers' Associations, who pleaded that men in their trades were engaged mainly as salesmen and that their driving of commercial vehicles was merely incidental, Mr. James M. Brown, secretary of the Scottish Association of Master Bakers, said his organization represented from 1,500-1,600 master bakers, equal to about 90 per cent. of those engaged on heavy production. All their roundsmen were primarily salesmen,
Mr. William Dalzell, chairman of the Scottish Conciliation Board, said he was full of hope for the future of the transport industry in Scotland. It must be clearly understood, however, that they would strenuously resist any attedipt to make Scotland a mere Area Board under England.