More Jobs! Demand Coventri Busmen
Socialist Press1976 1976-07-14Read it in the scan (PDF), scan page 10 →
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Coventry's bus crews voted last Monday (July Sth) to stage a series of lightening strikes covering two days each week.
This action follows management's refusal to meet union demands for a reduced lunchbreak in order to shorten the working day, which at present is around nine hours.
The crews have rejected management claims that a reduction in hours would violate the government's pay limit and that the cost to the West Midland Passenger Transport Executive of implementing the • reduction would be £250,000 a year.
One busman told Socialist Press:
"We believe that the extra work involved would mean the creation of twenty more jobs. This would cost approximately £900 a week -quite a way from the £250,000 figure."
Throughout the strike the rightwing Coventry Evening Telegraph has thrown its weight • behind management.
When reporters came to the mass meeting they were surrounded by angry busmen protesting the attack on the dispute carried by the Cuts in local government spending have led to a reduction in subsidies to WMPTE, which has announced the need for fare increases.
The present dispute will obviously be used as a cover for part of the increases.