Buses sell-out danger
Socialist Press1979 1979-02-21Read it in the scan (PDF), scan page 11 →
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In the wake of the haulage drivers' tremendous pay victory, which crashed through the 5% limit and achieved a settlement in excess of 20%, 100,000 bus drivers have been looking for a similar settlement.
Basic pay for municipal bus drivers is only £34.39 for a 40-hour week. Haulage drivers have just achieved a basic rate of £64.
But TGWU national officer Larry Smith has no intention of waging a fight for such a figure.
Last week, after hearing an insulting 5% pay offer from the employers, he declared his willingness: to recommend a supposedly: "interim" settlement of only 6%-abandoning the rest of the claim to the tender mercies of some independent "inquiry" into pay and conditions.
Employers pointed out how irrelevant such an "inquiry" would be, but declared themselves ready to agree to one, provided it was governmentrun.
A major sell-out is thus being lined up. But Smith has to persuade a special delegate conference to accept his wretched proposal.
Bus drivers and ancillary staff must take steps to ensure that their delegates are mandated to throw out the 6% offer and the "inquiry", and to press for strike action if the full claim is not conceded.