No reply on bus pay claim

Workers Press no. 902, 24 October 1972 · scan page 12

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LONDON'S 23,000 busmen were yesterday told for the second time in a week that there could be no reply on their interim pay claim until the result of the Tory-TUC talks is known.

London Transport hinted at an eventual rise of f2 a week and said they accepted the 'broad principle' that a recent shift award to municipal busmen in the provinces should apply in the Larry Smith, the Transport and General Workers' Union's national bus secretary, estimates this to be worth up to another £2.58 a week for drivers, £2.50 for conductors and £2.85 for one man operators.

The 10 per cent award on basic rates for 80,000 busmen outside London was given only a week ago by Prof Hugh Clegg as compensation for shift work.

No decision was made yesterday on the amounts London busmen will receive or when and no offer was made on their 4zper-cent interim pay claim.

London Transport will meet the unions again on November 2 when they hope the outcome of the Tory-TUC talks will be known.

The busmen want to close the gap between the 8 per cent rise they received last April and the increases of around 12 per cent given to London Underground workers under the rail pay settlement in May.

London Transport bus drivers at present receive a basic rate £25.85 conventional vehicles and f29 for one-man operation. Conductors get £25.

Busmen question management claims that average earnings range from • £30.96 to £35.39 a week excluding overtime.

Larry Smith, national bus secretary of the Transport and General Workers' Union said after last week's adjourned meeting:

'I am convinced that London Transport has an offer to make to us today but refrained from