LTB Acts on Overtime Bans NEWS IN BRIEF
Page 42
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
FROM OUR INDUSTRIAL CORRESPONDENT
T ONDON TRANSPORT hit back last 1-d week at some 800 drivers and conductors at three suburban garages who disrupted services with an unofficial ban on overtime and rest day working. They announced that in order to reduce the inconvenience being caused to the public by the action of bus crews at Hendon, Edgware and Harrow Weald garages, revised schedules, matched to the staff available, would be brought in on the routes affected.
The new schedules, which were due to come into force at two of the garages on Wednesday and at the third next week, are designed to give passengers more regular. though more widely spaced, services. London Transport explained that these garages had been more than 20 per cent below strength in crews. Voluntary overtime had been necessary to help maintain services at a reasonable level and the ban had caused many more journeys to he cancelled, with consequent long gaps between oeses.
When the arrangements for implementing the 40-hour week and additional holidays were agreed with the Transport and General Workers' Union earlier this year, London Transport had told the union that if there was any organized ban on overtime or rest day working, the Board would introduce _revised schedules to match the staff available.
The new schedules at Hendon, Edgware and Harrow Weald had accordingly been " tailored " to the existing number of staff, so that the revised services could be fully worked by them without the need for overtime. In that way, the same volume of service would be worked by the garages as at present, but the regularity should be improved. The union and the garage repre
sentatives were being informed that if crews were available to man extra buses they would be allocated to work buses additional to the schedule.
Cause of the trouble is the refusal of crews at the three garages to implement the agreement reached between the Board and the union earlier this year for a system of planned or predetermined adjustments to be made to services to minimize the effects of the staff shortage. Other garages have accepted these arrangements_ The dispute at the three garages is not the only trouble affecting London Transport. Men at a fourth garage. Southall, voted by 76 votes to two to ban overtime in protest against a new bus scheme for West London. And the fear is that other garages affected by the scheme may join them. A London Transport spokesman explained that new schedules for a completely new area traffic scheme had been posted up and the men's comments invited. There had been some complaints and these were being considered. But before there could be a reply the men had decided to take action, despite the fact that the new schedules were not due to come into bffect until October 3.
Replacing RTs: From October 3, new 72-seat Routemaster buses will replace 56-seat RT buses on the 409, 410 and 411 group of country bus service routes operated by London Transport to link Reigate. Godstone and East Grinstead with Caterham, Croydon and Bromley. More Routemasters will go into service on route 480 (Erith-Denton) in November. These will be the first 72-seat Routemasters to enter service since 1961 (19 then being introduced on central service 104).