London Busmen's Claim
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FROM OUR INDUSTRIAL CORRESPONDENT
TTIE executive of the Transport and I General Workers' Union will be asked next week to approve a new claim on behalf of London's 38,000 busmen. As forecast in The Commercial Motor last week, a delegate conference of London busmen unanimously decided to put in a claim for a " substantial " rise in pay and for a reduction in hours from 84 to 80 a fortnight. Executive approval is now only a formality and the claim should be with the London Transport Executive very shortly.
The busmen's leaders clearly have in mind a six per cent pay rise in line with those awarded to the railwaymen and the London Underground men. This would cost the L.T.E. about £1,750,000 a year and give a driver another 14s. a week on top of his present rate of £11 16s. 6d. A conductor, whose rate is 4s. a week lower, would benefit slightly less. .
The six per cent aim was borne out•by the fact that two other proposals were defeated by the delegates. The first proposed that the busmen should ask for an increase of 25s. a week. The second asked that the pre-war parity between bus and tube drivers should be re-established. This would have meant an increase of £2 13s. 6d. a week. Both suggestions were heavily defeated.
The conference also decided to defer the claim that has been made for a service bonus of 5s. a week for every employee with five years' service. The busmen had their last wage increase in April when they received a rise of 6s. 6d. a week.