Manchester Report Attacks Workers
Page 34
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Four Sub-committees Recommend That Transport Department be Reorganized
AETER nine months' close study of the working of Manchester TransPoi-(Depaiiment, four sub-committees have produced a report on their investigations which, as already forecast in "The Commercial Mvtor,":demands drastic reorganization of the undertaking. Publication of -the 70-page report, due to be considered by the city council on Wednesday, has created a storm of discussion and will undoubtedly result in closer examination of conditions in some other transport systems.
From the report the impartial observer may deduce' that passengers are paying increased -charges partly becauSe Of a iceriain laxity of working standards'ainong, sections; of the employees,'and that comparisons of maintenance 'costs of the department with those of '4imilar work done by commercial organizations are of. significance.
ObjectiOns to eritictsms of the worker's were promptly , voiced by several trades unions.and a joint conference of repreiantatuies was called for today by the Manchesterand Salford Trades Council. The demand for drastic changes principally concerns,the main repair works at Hyde Road, Ardwick, where a staff of 570 is engaged.
No Cut in Traffic Section Substantial savings on the, traffic section would, the investigating subcommittee thought, result in a lower standard of service which would be a policy matter for the transport committee. The administrative sections of the undertaking were regarded as satisfictory. whilst the organization and operation of the depots were .generally approved. .
In dealing with the Hyde Road plant, credit is given for the .fact that the work performed. has been of the requisite standard but posts. are shown to be out of keeping even with the high levels usual to-day. The appointment
• of' a works manager, to be responsible .to"the general manager, is suggested. ThiS, it is suited, would make redundant the positions, of deputy-general manager, rolling-stock engineer, works superintendent and deputy works superintendent, a fact that would necessitate considerable reorganizationin itself.
Contractors' Pikes Lower • A simple example showing the possibility of savings concerns clock repair. on which two men are at present employed at a cost of more than £450 per year in excess of tenders for the same work by an outside organization. Repainting a double-decker is stated to stand at 174 9s. 6d. on Hyde Road costings, whereas similar jobs by independent coach painters cost 141 18s. 10d. On engine overhauls, the corporation figure of labour is given as 136 12s, against an estimate of 121 12s. 3d. for the same work done by the manufacturers Substantial increases in the number of man-hours spent on engine unit overhauls in 1948, as compared with 1934, are recorded. Radiator repairs. which cost £7 10s. 7d. when performed A32 by outside specialists, cost E9 10s. 6d. in the Hyde Road repair shops. Total costs of the plant for 1949-50 were 1409,174, wages accounting for /148,264 of this amount.
Security associated with local-government service has, says the report, had a detrimental effect on output, which was not considered comparable with daywork output outside. 'Too many employees had deliberately imposed on this :security, wasting time in many small -ways which the supervisory staff was unable to counteract.
, The management of the works had not proved efficient, and the supervisory staff had, until recently, been appointed mainly by seniority. Action by supervisors, if. likely., to cause a stoppage,' appeared to have been regarded as a fault by the higher management, so that only in the most serious cases were there dismissals or suspensions.
There was an unwillingness, and even refusal, on the part of the men to attempt standards of output usual :at outside industry.
The works, said the investigating subcommittee, must be brought up to an efficiency equivalent to that of a wellmanaged private undertaking so that the output for El in wages was equal to that obtained in ordinary business.
It recommended that the brass foundry should be closed; that the use of the present smithy be discontinued and its staff drastically reduced, that action should be taken to deal with redundancy in the triMming shop and that the paint shop should be closed unless it proved able to give service competitive with outside 'coach painters. Furthermore, any' seetiOn of the works not on a competitive basii with outside contractors within a reasonable period should be shut.
Works to be Closed?
Anything less severe, said the committee, would be unlikely to prove effective. If its proposals were thought impracticable, the closure of the works ought to be considered.
A measure of acceptance that output is low has come from the workers' representatives, says the report, but this is blamed on defective works-layout and inadequate equipment, lack of organization by 'the management, lack of some sort of incentive and low earnings. A joint works council to establish co-operation is suggested.
To maintain cloSer _contact among the various sections of the works, the setting up. of sub-committees to deal with administration, claims, garages, traffic and works. is suggested.
Working on their, off-chtty. days by many drivers and conductors,-.in order to increase their respective basic earnings of 1.5 7s. 6d..• and 1.5 4s. 6d„ is condemned as being prejudicial to health and efficiency. The issue of rule books to drivers and conductors is proposed.
Saving £20,000 a Year
Estimates show that the extension of Manchester's popular limited-stop services to an extra 10 routes would bring about a saving of some 20 doubledeckers and a reduction in costs amounting to £20,000 annually. Adoption of new higher passenger capacity types is proposed in connection with the replacement of single-deck machines.
Officials. of 'several unions quickly made public protests against the report, one describing the proposal regarding works closure as an attempt to usc big-stick " methods.
An officer of the Electrical Trades Union Commented that the wages position was a disrupting factor between management and employees. The E.T.U. had applied for an increase of 3d. per hour but the transport committee refused to face the issue and, as a result, there had been a serious deterioration in the position between the two sides.