246 NOTTS RAILMEN. REDUNDANT

- a 246 railwaymen employed at Colwick Sidings have been notified that they are redundant.

A typical case is that of Shunter Linley whose take-home pay last week after deductions, including rent of a railwayowned house, was £7 6s. Shunter Linley has a family of three small children. He was notified in a duplicated circular that on September 14 the job he occupied would no longer be required and he would ‘fall to be dealt with under Standard Redundancy Arrangements’. All the redundant men have received a similar notice.

The men at Colwick are in the dark about the future. According to redundancy agreements signed with the railway union if single railwaymen are declared redundant then they must be prepared to travel over great distances to fresh jobs.

Under this procedure 24 firemen were sent to depots in the London area during the summer. They were lodged in a Church Army hostel and obliged to sleep in beds just vacated by someone else.

The fate of a married man is even more uncertain. He must be prepared to travel. any ‘reasonable distance’ to other work. According to the shopmen’s conditions this is anything up to an ‘average of two hours in each direction.’

The situation at Colwick is made worse by the failure of the unions concerned to give leadership. This is one of the main complaints of drivers, shunters and shopmen alike.

For example, the redundancy agreement stipulates that alternative employment in the same grade can only be found in the same region. Because of this, one of the goods guards at Colwick was told at the employment exchange that though there were guards wanted at the Midland depot only four miles away, he could not transfer there. This seems to be a matter for the railwaymen to get together over.

“A fireman, one of the local officials of the ASLEF, described . the situation as follows: ‘Everyone is in the dark, even the shed master, but if there is to be large scale redundancy at the depot then trouble can be expected.’

, By G. Kennedy and some odd minutes, This means a few minutes’ con-. cession at the most!

With the hours agreement out of the way the LTE offered’ a new deal on wages. In the past each busman had to serve two years’ probation before getting the full rate for the job. This meant that new drivers earned up to 12s. a week less. than other drivers and conductors about 8s. a week less.

From September 18 the probation period is cut to 12: months, after which staff receive the full rate. What is interesting is that the Negotiating Committee didn’t even ask for this. The LTE offered it out of the blue, obviously alarmed at the growing staff shortage now above the 3,000 mark and’

rising.

The Trade Group Committee is meeting on Wednesday,. September 23, to discuss the £1 claim and payment for shift working. With the Right-wing making the most of its negotiating abilities what comes out of this conference will be important, but only if the full weight of the rank and file is. led into action, clever negotiators notwithstanding.

RENTS ‘By Bill Hunter