Strong Protests
Page 35
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FURTHER evidence was heard, in London, on Monday and Tuesday, by the committee appointed by the Ministers of Labour and Transport to examine and make recommendations with regard to the regulation of wages and conditions of service in the goods road-transport industry.
Mr. F. G. Witcher and Mr. J. L. Gerson presented a memorandum of evidence on behalf of the Joint Industrial Council for the Furniture Warehousing and Removing Industry, which pointed out that in the trade represented by the council all motor vehicles were operated under A or B licences.
The constitution of the council avoided overlapping with general road transport and other interests. It also provided for no fewer than 16 members, half from the National Association of Furniture Warehousemen and Removers, which represented most of the leading concerns in the industry, and half from the Transport and General. Workers Union,
A Special Agreement.
The council submitted a copy of an agreement reached before the passing of the Road and Rail Traffic Act, 1933, and as approved by the council; also a copy of an agreement for drivers and statutory attendants which members were recommended to observe as from October 1, 1936. This, the council pointed out, was at least as favourable to the employees as the agreement of the National Joint Conciliation Board, and included one or two features which dealt with the special conditions found in the warehousing and removing industry, as distinct from general transport.
It was the intention of the council to continue to deal with rates and conditions for other employees, as well as drivers and statutory attendants.
Stating that, from time to time, attention had been focused on the opinion that decisions of the council should be binding on everyone undertaking removals, the memorandum added:— Disappointment has been expressed that they have not been adopted generally, and established furniture removers are still faced with the unfortunate situation that many outside firms are able to carry out their work by paying unfair wages."
Universal Application.
The council had the strong conviction that agreements evolved through its negotiations should have universal application and be binding on all licence holders undertaking furniture removals. Scottish members had been left to make their own arrangements as to wages and conditions, Mr. Gerson told the committee that, in the removal trade, a man might drive a vehicle to a house, and after it was loaded, a regular driver might then take over. The method adopted was to pay a man who did temporary *work as a driver an additional amount for the time he was driving.
Mr. Witcher said that all the workers in the trade were dependent upon each other. It would not be policy to separate the transport side from the operative side. "We have always felt that it is preferable to deal with the industry, and all the employees concerned, through the Joint Industrial Council, rather than to separate them," he remarked.
Sir James Baillie, chairman, asked whether it was considered that this would mean a greater spirit of unity among employees, foster esprit de corps in the widest sense of the term, and whether mental and psychological results would be achieved.
" Yes, sir," replied Mr. Witcher.
" A very important point," remarked the chairman, Mr. Gerson said that, in the removal industly, drivers were not ordinary drivers, but were also experts in packing and other activities. The council had now before it a revision of the conditions governing the remainder of the trade, so as to bring the workers concerned into line, so far as possible, with the drivers, so that there should not be friction between different classes of men working together.
Asked by the chairman regarding the binding of people to the decisions of the council—a voluntary body—Mr. Witcher replied that the extent of its machinery was an indication in itself that it did represent the majority of interests.
Col. S. S. Ogilvie (manager of the Federation of Gas Employers), Mr. C. M. Plowman (assistant secretary of the Federation), Mr. H. M. Lawrence (transport officer of the Gas, Light and Coke Co.), Mr. T. D. H. Brown (labour officer of the Gas, Light and Coke Co.) and Mr. W. L. S. Spinks (representing Birmingham Gas Department) presented evidence on behalf of the Federation of Gas Employers.
The memorandum stated that the number of workers employed by gas undertakings was approximately 126,000, ranging from one or two men in a village works to over 20,000 employed by the Gas, Light and Coke Co.
"An Impossible Position."
"With regard to hours and conditions of service, these have been dealt with and determined solely by the National Joint Industrial Council and Regional Joint Industrial Councils, and by common consent have been made applicable to all workers, whether craftsmen or otherwise, and whether members of one of the unions affiliated to the National Joint Industrial Council or not," stated the memorandum.
"An impossible position would obviously be created in an industry such as the gas industry if outside bodies or outside tribunals were to impose upon undertakings varying hours and varying rates of overtime for different classes of worker."
The number of motor vehicles employed by the industry—under C licences—was about 2,500, and the number of employees engaged in connection with the operation of motor vehicles was some 2,800.
"Danger to Peace."
The memorandum concluded : "It is understood that representations have been made by the National Joint Conciliation Board for the Road Motor Transport Industry (Goods) to the effect that the decisions of the Board as to wages and working conditions should be statutorily enforceable, and that C-licence holders should be placed in the same position with regard to the fair-wages provisions of the Road Traffic Acts as A and B-licence holders. The Federation of Gas Employers most vigorously opposes these suggestions, as being not only quite unnecessary, but fraught with danger to the peace of the industry."