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Busmen's Pay Increases
Page 50
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From Our Industrial Correspondent
THE pattern of pay increases for Britain's bus industry was set at nine-hour talks at London Transport last week. As forecast in The Commercial Motor last week, it is of an order of about 3 per cent.
The L.T.E. offered leaders of 39,000 London busmen 5s. a week more for some 5,000 unskilled maintenance staff in the garages; 6s. a week more for all conductors and for country bus drivers; 7s. a week more for central area and Green Line bus drivers.
All the increases are to take effect from the beginning of April.
After the meeting, Mr. Sam Henderson, national passenger group secretary of the Transport and General Workers' Union, said: "The offer is the most that we could secure at this time, having regard to the situation we are facing."
There was some tough bargaining at the all-day session. The union negotiators pressed hard for a standard increase of 6s. 6d. a week for everybody. But Mr. Anthony Bull, London Transport's labour relations member, was adamant that there must be something extra for drivers, of whom there was a particular shortage.
In fact, he made it clear that he had authority from the Board to offer as much as 8s. a week to drivers and only 5s. for conductors. It was to close this gap as much as possible that the union team fought so long and hard.
The offer will cost London Transport £850,000 a year. Taken together with the expected £450,000 rise for 19,000 underground men, it will almost certainly mean a rise in fares.
Receipts at present do little more than cover expenditure, so that the extra pay will have to be recouped out of extra revenue. A London Transport spokesman admitted: "Any expenditure of this kind must have some effect on fares."
There were two other points in the busmen's claim. One, for time and a half for Saturday work, was completely rejected. The other, for less week-end working, is to be discussed at a further meeting between the two sides shortly.
The offer is almost certain to be accepted. The busmen's negotiating committee is reported to have decided to recommend. acceptance by eight votes to two. The final decision will be taken by a busmen's delegate conference which is due to meet next Tuesday (March 6).
Acceptance there will clear the way for the parallel claim of the municipal busmen next Thursday and of the company busmen the following week.