NEARLY 5 PER CENT FOR B.R.S. MEN
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FROM OUR-INDUSTRIAL CORRESPONDENT
BRITISH ROAD SERVICES have coneluded a new pay agreement with the unions which is considerably more favourable to its employees than the recent Road Haulage Wages Council recommendation now awaiting confirmation by the Minister of Labour, Mr. Joseph Godber.
The agreement, which came into effect on Monday (March 23), covers some 21,000 drivers, mates and loaders. They are to get increases in pay ranging from 9s. 3d. a week for the lowest grades to 14s. 3d. for heavy haulage drivers in vehicles of over 65 tons. They bring minimum rates to £10 9s. 3d, a week in London, plus the 15 per cent bonus which has been in force since the speed limit was raised to 30 m.p.h. some years ago, and to £10 3s. 3d. plus bonus in the provinces.
At the other end of the scale drivers of 65-tonners will now get £15 Os: 3d. basic pay in the provinces and £15 4s. 3d. in London.
The increases represent a rise of nearly 5 per cent, compared with the Wages Council recommendation of 4 per cent. Usually R.R.S. negotiations follow closely the pattern in the Wages Council.
This time, however, B.R.S. claim to have taken a completely different approach to the unions' pay claim. They did not give a percentage increase, but revised all rates in the wages schedule. This did not result in any major disturbances of the schedule, but may have been partly responsible for the different percentage increase which was eventually established.
Besides the bigger increase B.R.S. men will also have a slight time advantage, It is likely to be a week or two yet before the bulk of road haulage workers, covered by the Wages Council, will get their higher pay.