Unions Disagree on Vauxhall Pay Plan
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A LTHOUGH the Amalgamated PA Engineering Union endorse a new pay scheme proposed by Vauxhall Motors, Ltd., the National Union of Vehicle Builders have rejected it. The company seek to base wages on time instead of a group bonus system which has been in force for 30 years.
Two-thirds of the 7,000 workers win receive as much or greater pay than before, but the remainder will lose an average of 2s. 10d. a week. The company say, however, that various benefits will be worth an extra 6d, an hour.
The N.U.V.B. think that no worker should suffer by the introduction of a new scheme, although they do not oppose the principle of wage consolidation. The N.U.V.B. have about 1,000 members at Vauxhall. The A.E.U. represent the largest number of union members among the company's employees.
The new wage structure, intended to be introduced on April 13, would bring the company into line with American practice.
Employers in the bodybuilding industry have received from the trade unions concerned an application for an increase in pay for apprentices, and payment of a tool allowance to workers who buy tools for the purpose of employment. Consideration of an apprentice-training scheme is also suggested.
THAMES EXPORTS 51% UP
EXPORTS of Thames vehicles were .1—, 51 per cent. higher last year than in 1954, says Sir Rowland Smith, chairman of the Ford Motor Co., Ltd., in his annual statement.
Last year the company made 356,000 units and by the end of the year output reached 1,500 vehicles per working day. Production was 19 per cent, higher than in 1954. A record in exports was achieved, 168,495 units (168,559,628) having been shipped.
Although the group's net sales rose by 19 per cent. to the record figure of 1151m., the profit before tax declined. Taxation amounted to 18,156,000, leaving a net profit of 1.8,551,649.
FROM AFRICA BY GAMECOCK T'Karrier Gamecock oil-engined buses arrived in London last week after a punishing journey across Africa. For three days in the Sahara Desert the vehicles travelled in second gear. Twoton trailers were drawn, hut radiator temperatures stayed normal. The whole journey was mechanically trouble-free,
A party of members of the South African Junior Nationalist Party is touring Europe in the vehicles. On the journey from Johannesburg to London through Africa„ Spain, France, Italy, Austria, Germany, Holland and Belgium, average daily mileage was 180. Each bus has a 30-gal. fuel tank, a 30-gal. water tank and 10-ply tyres with special treads.
Closer Watch on NonPaying Routes
rOMPLETELY uneconomic services run by the British Transport Commission were to come under increasingly close scrutiny, said the Minister of Transport in the House of Commons last week. Answering Mr. W. Owen (Lab., Morpeth), the Minister said that the B.T.C. were withdrawing uneconomic rail services with his full support. Public interest was fully considered.
Mr. Owen mentioned concern in Northumberland over "increasing limitation of both rail and road transport." The Minister denied that .any bus service had been withdrawn in the past nine months, although four railway stations had been closed.
Because Licensing Authorities were fully aware of bus operators' difficulties and had sufficient powers, the Minister was not prepared to give them a general direction to relax conditions for the operation of buses without conductors, Maj. W. J. Anstruther-Gray (Con., Berwick and East Lothian) was told.
ANOTHER DOCK MEETING THIS MONTH THERE is likely to be another con' ference of 18 national organizations on dock delays at the end of this
month, possibly on April 26. The Road Haulage Association, who are convening the meeting, are trying to arrange a date. It is hoped that practical suggestions for improvements will be forthcoming.
The R.H.A. have not succeeded in securing representation on local port users' committees. These committees are, however, becoming more active, partly as a result of representations by the Association, and partly because of the publicity given to the meeting of interested organizations which the R.H.A. held last September.
Annual Brake Tests Wanted
ANNUAL brake tests for goods and passenger vehicles with more than eight seats were among recommendations made last month to the Economic Commission for Europe's sub-committee on road transport by its working party on the construction of vehicles.
Other recommendations concerned the standardization of various vehicle parts, such as direction indicators, brakes and lights.
The working party on the prevention of road traffic accidents have agreed on a number of new signs and signals.
£4.4m. LOSS IN 1955
BUENOS AIRES public transport services had an estimated operating deficit of 14.4m. last year, and current revenue is barely sufficient to cover the undertaking's wage bill.
The organization owes 13m. to the pensions fund in respect a its own contributions and 11.8m. collected from the staff but not paid in. Debts to suppliers are given as Lim., and a further 11.1m. is owing to Government departments.
" Bureaucratic hypertrophy," lack of co-ordination in the purchase of supplies, and the want of adequate repair and manufacturing facilities are officially blamed. A large proportion of the undertaking's rolling stock is out of service.
BASES NOT TO CHANGE TWO more special A licences have I been refused by the West Midland Licensing Authority because he was not satisfied about the proposed changes in the bases of the vehicles concerned. The applicants were Mr. S. Washington, 71 Amington Road, Tantworth (a lorry —4i tons), and S. Hughes (Commercial), Ltd., Dick Lane, Bradford, 4 (a vehicle —7i tons—based at Warwick). 419