LTB busmen still hope for El-a-week settlement
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• Leaders of 33,000 London Transport busmen have not given up hope of getting Government approval for their £1-a-week pay and productivity settlement. They think that the deal might still be allowed past the wages policy net.
Garage delegates voted 68 to 29 against abandoning the deal in favour of a demand for £1 a week "and no strings'. The Transport and General Workers Union now hopes for further talks with London Transport.
TGWU leaders were instructed by the delegates to seek an urgent meeting with the employers to try and get an improvement in the premium rates for one-man buses on country services bringing them into line with those agreed for the central area.
In a letter to the TGWU last week, Mr. Stephen Swingler, Minister of State (Transport). approved the payment of 10s-a-week bonus for one-man operation but ruled that a further 105 productivity payment should be cut to 5s unless it could be justified by further efficiency concessions.
It is clear, however, that the busmen feel they have already gone to the end of the road on productivity: they are seeking yet further improvement in the deal which Mr. Swingler vetoed.
Mr. Alan Thomson, TGWU bus secretary, said, however, that Mr. Richard Marsh, Minister of Transport. had told him "the door is still open"; the union expected a positive answer from the Minister this week.
Mr. Thomson said that the busmen would not consider any further measures to improve productivity unless their 10s bonus was approved by the Government.