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Union unrest increases as fight against freeze grows
Page 36
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FROM OUR INDUSTRIAL CORRESPONDENT
C OINCIDING with the improved financial position of the nation, transport trade unions are showing increasing intransigence.
A work to rule by British Railways guards seriously disrupted goods and passenger services in the first half of the week. All parcels collections in London, Birmingham and Nottingham were stopped and rail freight in the Midlands virtually came to a halt.
Congestion at Severn Tunnel and Cardiff affected freight movements in South Wales and Freightliner operations on the GlasgowLondon services were halted.
Encouraged by Mr. Frank Cousins, who on Sunday said, "I am not going to have members of my organization confidence-tricked into doing something and then not getting paid", car transporter drivers employed by the Longbridge group of delivery agents decided to refuse to bring imported cars back to the Midlands from the docks.
This is in reprisal to a compulsory freeze order signed by Mr. Michael Stewart, First Secretary of State, last week.
Mr. Ron Carrington, former chairman of the Longbridge group, is demanding Government action to back up its wages clampdown.
It was announced on Tuesday that Progressive Holdings, responsible for about 25 per cent of car transporter movements, plan to dismiss 150 drivers employed at its Solihull and Birmingham depots. The intention is to re-employ the men at the Coventry depot in an effort to get round a pay freeze order.
There are indications that this move, which Mr. L. Port, the firm's personnel director, considers to be legal may meet with union opposition from the TGWU's Coventry branch.
The Ministry of Labour and the Department of Economic Affairs are understood to be looking closely at this latest development.
Mr. Port is reported to have said: "We cannot finance a war between Mr. Cousins and his TGWU and Mr. Wilson. What we want to do is to carry on our business of helping the car industry, the biggest exporting industry in the country. If the men decide they will not do return journeys, it would cripple our operations".
To add to Mr. Gunter's collection of sharp nails, he has been asked to consent to the payment of bonus on a daily basis for about 1,300 Eastern National busmen on services into central London. If this gambit succeeds it would undoubtedly spark off similar moves in the provinces where there are many wages anomalies between corporation and company busmen.