Nalgo Win Pay Rise for Salaried Staff
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Partial Union Victory in First of a Series of Disputes with Bus Companies
FOR the first time in the history of arbitration, the Industrial Disputes Tribunal have made an award to salaried staff employed by a passenger transport company. As the result of a claim made by the National and Local Government Officers' Association, the Tribunal have awarded an increase of £13 a year in the salaries of monthly paid staff employed by the Rhondda Transport Co., Ltd.
They have, however, rejected a claim that the company should adopt and implement a salary structure which would enable the staff concerned to assess their rates of pay, having regard to the duties and responsibilities undertaken.
The Tribunal have also made an award covering weekly paid clerical staff employed by Rhondda Transport. An extra 5s. a week is to be paid to male clerks over 21 years of age, and 4s. to female clerks over 21. Male clerical workers under 21 are to receive Is. 6d. more, and females under 21, 2s.
All the increases took effect from the first full pay period following August 29.
The dispute, which was heard by the Tribunal on August 25. arose out of the company's refusal to substitute for their existing agreement (covering only weekly paid clerical staff) with Nalgo a new agreement in respect of clerical. supervisory, technical and administrative staff, which included monthly paid workers.
Nalgo told the Tribunal that they were not prepared to negotiate solely on behalf of the weekly paid staff, because that would exclude from consideration the rates of pay and conditions of service of the salaried staff, the majority of whom were members of the Association.
They submitted that the rates of pay of the company's staff compared unfavourably with those for similar employment in other public services. including the railways and British Road Services.
Pay Was bower
An examination had also shown that salaries paid by the company were generally lower than those paid by the municipal transport undertakings of Cardiff, Pontypridd and Merthyr Tydfil.
Nalgo acknowledged that the company's rates for weekly paid staff were no less favourable than those applying throughout the industry, with the excep tion of municipal undertakings. • The large bulk of company-owned passenger transport undertakings in England and Wales come within the ambit of either the Tillings Association or the British Electric Traction Federa tion," Nalgo stated. • "In the main, these companies have agreements in respect of the weekly paid staffs with one or other of the trade unions active in this field. With certain minor exceptions, the existing agreements with the companies within the sphere of the B.E.T. are identical in terms."
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Proposals similar to those rejected by Rhondda Transport had also been submitted to the majority of the B.E.T. and Tillings companies.
If the Tribunal found in favour of Nalgo, it would be necessary for the company to determine the grading of positions in the undertaking, and it would he open to the Association to
discuss with the management any case in which it was felt that the company had allocated the wrong grade to a particular job.
Nalgo originally estimated' (hat the additional cost to the company in respect of their proposals concerning salaried staff would be £4,100 a year, or equivalent to an increase of .138d. per mile in their operating costs.
Since the dispute was reported, the company had increased inspectors' salaries by £50 a year, with effect from July 1 last. From that date, too, the working week had been increased from 46 to 48 hours. In the light of that development, the additional costs would be approximately £2,900 a year, or .098d. per mile.
"It may be submitted on behalf of the company,went on Nalgo, "that the travelling public could not be expected to meet the increased fares which would be necessitated." But the Association would maintain that it was not reasonable for the company to keep down costs to the public by paying depressed rates of pay to their employees.
In their case before the Tribunal, Rhondda Transport said they were willing to discuss with Nalgo any proposals to alter the existing agreement, but they were not willing to enter into an agreement covering salaried staff.
They submitted that their rates of pay and conditions of service were fair and reasonable,and compared favourably with those of good employers in the area.
So far as the company were aware the salary scales and conditions pro. posed by Nalgo had not been adopted by any other road passenger transport company, and, in their opinion, they were, in many respects, inapplicable ot inappropriate to their staff.
Advance Polity
The primary purpose of the claim originally submitted to them appearfd to be not to remedy any particular grievance of the staff, but rather to obtain recognition by the company. of Nalgo as representing their salaried staff and to advance the declared policy of the Association to.secure the establishment of national wage-fixing machinery for the administrative, professional, technical and clerical stall's of road passenger transport operators.
[At a conference at Brighton in June (The Commercial Motor, June 10), Mr. John Lancaster, national organizing officer for transport staffs of Nalgo, declared that a series of trade disputes with bus companies throughout the country was to be declared by the Association and the Transport and General Workers' Union.
The Rhondda Transport dispute is the first to have been heard. The second, between the T.G.W.U. and Bristol Tramways and Carriage Co., Ltd., is to be heard by the Tribunal on September 27.] PARIS SHOW EXHIBITORS
DRIT1SH exhibitors in the com mercial-vehicle section of the Paris Show, to be held from October 6-16, will be Austin, Commer, Karrier and Vauxhall. Among those in the accessories section will be C.A.V., Girling, Lodge, Lucas, Metalastik, Romac and Trico-Folberth. British Bergougnan tyres will also be shown.
The commercial-vehicle section will be at the Parc des Expositions, Porte de Versailles.
WILLYS AUSTRALIAN PLANT
THE Willys Automobile Co., in association with Australian enterprise, hope to begin the manufacture of Willys commercial vehicles in Australia next year. Representatives of the company will choose the site for two assembly plants. Australian factories may later help to supply markets in the south-west Pacific. in addition to those in the Philippines antl Indonesia. The company arc prepared to invest between $6m.-$8m. in Australia.