Early Talks on Municipal Claim
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FROM MR INDUSTRIAL CORRESPONDENT .
THERE are to be early talks at the Ministry of Labour over the threepoint pay claim by Britain's 7100 municipal busmen. Mr. Thomas Claro, the Ministry's chief conciliation officer, wrote to both sids of the National Joint Council to say he would be getting in touch with them to arrange meetings.
As forecast in The Commercial Motor last week, these will in the first instance be separate so that the Ministry "peacemakers" can get at the facts as each side sees them and find out whether there is any scope for bringing employers and unions nearer, If there is any hope of that the next step will he to have a joint meeting, with Mr..Claro in the chair.
The initiative for Ministry. of Labour intervention came from the Council, which a fortnight ago failed to reach agreement after six hours of talks on the unions' claims for a "substantial" pay rise, a 40-hour week and a bonus scheme.
The employers were willing to go to arbitration in an effort to break the deadlock, but the unions thought that this stage had not been reached. Finally, both sides agreed to make a joint reference to the Minister of Labour, Mr. Ray Gunter. The fetters from Mr. Chu° are the first results of this approach.
Doncaster Bug Station Progress: Tho first phase of the new northern bus station at the rear of Trafford Street, Doncaster, has been completed. The Town Council's transport committee, lacking authority from the Council. has not yet 'applied for permission to operate services from the station, .Coach Grant: Because the Theatre Royal, York, is attracting more coach parties from all parts of Yorkshire. the Arts Council of Great Britain has increased its transport subsidy to the theatre from £150 to £550.