No Decision on Busmen's Pay: Another Meeting Next Week
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NO decision was reached on the claim for a wage increase of £1 a week made for municipal bus workers which was discussed at a Meeting of the National Joint Industrial Council for the road passenger transport industry in London last Friday (The Commercial Motor last week). The N.J.I.C. will meet again next Thursday.
Proposals have been made to Glasgow.. Corporation by the Transport and General Workers' Union for amendments and improvements governing the working conditions of the transport department's platform staff. The Union have been told by a special sub-committee that because of the shortage of staff, they could not entertain the proposals at the present time.
They were, however, prepared to remit the question to the transport manager for further discussion on any amended proposals put by the Union which would not impose additional restrictions affecting services. A further meeting between the committee and the Union would be held after discussions with the manager.
At Newcastle upon Tyne, the T.G.W.U. have made representations about payment for spread-over duties. The transport committee have been told that the proposals would cost £20,000 A32 a year, and the matter has been deferred pending a further sport from the 'general manager.
Faced with a transport staff shortage of 40, Luton Council agreed last week that the welfare sub-committee should review wages and conditions of service among bus workers. Cllr. C. J. Harris, chairman of the transport committee, said that the results of the negotiations now going on at national level would be taken into account before the subcommittee made any recommendations on the matter.
If the claim for an extra £1 a week were granted, the consequences to the finances of Newport Transport Department would be "extremely serious," a spokesman said last week. "If granted in full, it would cost us £35,000 a year. Even if half the claim were granted it would be serious for us," he said. The department had a deficit of £16,676 at the end of March this year.
The London Transport Executive and the T G.W.U. met again on Monday to consider the Union's eight-point claim on behalf of busmen. After the meeting it was announced that the Union agreed that some overtime was necessary. The parties would consider proposals for voluntary overtime by rota. Another meeting is to be held.