Bus Strike or Arbitration ?
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BY A SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
TW0 choices face the Transport and General Workers' Union now that their pay claim for London busmen has been rejected. They can demand that the matter should be settled by arbitration, or they can order some form of industrial action to try to force the hand of the London Transport Executive.
The Union have called a special delegates' conference, which will meet in London on December 9, to decide what their next step will be. This group has the power lo plan the whole campaign, subject only to approval by the highest union officials.
If they did agree on arbitration, it would mean the claim being considered either by the Industrial Disputes Tribunal or the Industrial Court, as the industry have no arbitration machinery of their own.
Other unions have been anxiously awaiting the outcome of the claim, particularly leaders of 177,000 provincial busmen who also plan to seek wage increases. They had deferred any action until the London result was known.
The .L.T.E. rejected outright the request for a 25s. a week increase for bus crews. Despite a six-hour meeting between the two sides, the Union delegation, led by Mr. H. Nicholas, assistant general secretary, failed to negotiate any counter-offer.
Mr. A. Bull, who headed the L.T.E. spokesmen, said it was thought that the rise in cost of living did not justify an increase. The travelling public had also to be considered, for higher wage bills A26 would undoubtedly reflect on fares. He pointed out that fares had been increased as recently as September.
For the Union it was stated that the cost of living index had risen by four points since their last pay rise in January. This alone should justify a grant of 7s. a week.
They asked if the rejection was part of the Government's anti-inflation policy. To this, the L.T.E. replied that statements in the House of Commons had not influenced their decision. The cost of the increase would have been about £4 million.
BATH APPEAL ON FARES
AN appeal has been lodged by Bath City Council against the Western Traffic Commissioners' decision to allow revised fares over certain routes for the Bristol Omnibus Co.. Ltd., Bath Electric Tramways, Ltd., and Bath Tramways Motor Co., Ltd. Other local authorities believed to be interested in the appeal include Bradford-on-Avon, Bathavon. Devizes and Melksham RuralDistrict Council.
EXPORT FIGURES UP IN October, 24,489 goods vehicles were I produced and 9,764 exported. Comparable figures for October, 1956, were 19,145 and 9,049, respectively. A total of 857 public service vehicles was produced last month, of which 453 were exported. In the same month of last year, 910 public service vehicles were made and 316 sent abroad.