Wages Dissension: Union to Fight
Page 36
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THREATS of trade-union action 1 against A and B-licence holders who refuse to carry out the findings of the National Joint Conciliation Board and the awards of the Board's appeals committee, with reference to wages and conditions, were made at a meeting of workers, in Leeds, last Sunday, The meeting was addressed by Mr. Ernest Bevio, general secretary of the Transport and General Workers Union, who is also chairman of the National Board, aad by Mr. J. Corrin, national trade group secretary of the union and workers' secretary of the Board.
A long resolution which was passed condemned " the action of the Yorkshire employers in their efforts to break down the national machinery and to prevent the observation of fair wages and conditions in the industry."
Mr. Sevin said that employers in Yorkshire and Lancashire had appealed several times for a postponement of the operation of various provisions of the National Board's scheme, and had given the impression, that if only they were given the date for which they asked, they would fall in with the decisions. In the hope of obtaining agreement, the National Board acceded, and then, alleged Mr. Bevin, certain employers went back on their word.
Stating that next month the union would be in conflict with employers who refused to carry out the decisions of the National Board, Mr. Bevin
appealed to workers to give evidence to their union if they were running into Grade 1 wage districts after April 1 and were not being paid Grade 1 wages.
" Stand by your evidence, so that we can state our case and see it through," he said. " I believe that new legislation must be introduced affecting this trade, to give men the right to claim damages if they be dismissed following their giving evidence on any part of the road-transport Acts. It is essential that we should put a stop to the intimidation that is going on."
He appealed to traders, public authorities and manufacturers to give contracts only to operators who were prepared to observe the conciliation agreement.
It should be understood that by no means all the Yorkshire employers have put into operation the counter-proposals. Apart from the fact that the Sheffield Horse and Motor Owners Association has dissociated itself from the new terms, the request by the Commercial Motor Users Association that members should not, for the time being at any rate, put into force the counter-proposals, was still operative at the time of closing for press.
As foreshadowed on page 200, further legislation may be introduced if the wages disputes be not quickly settled. The Ministers of Transport and Labour are to consider the matter.