"Trade unionism, basically, is a continuous crusade for industrial democracy. When you come right down to fundamentals, 4 trade union represents the insistence of the working people that they have a real say in the amount of work they do for the payment they get, and the conditions they work under — covering every aspect of the members’ life at work, from bonuses and overtime vorking, to the temperature of the fact-— ory and the attitude of the mana. ement » Let no-one misunder— stand the position. Britain's biggest union is vitally concerned with the rights of the individual member -at the vlace of work, as well as in the Terms of the National agreements." (Jack Jones. September 1964. 'Record' )
Fine words then, but «hat now? On the <¢4th November the final step was taken when 77,000 municinal busmen were sold into bondage for 30 pieces of silver by delegates representin, them. Militant members must be orying with sheme and the old stalwarts of the 1920's turnins in their ;raves. Never have so mony been sold by so few for so little. iven in the bead old days our revresentatives never agreed to such diabolical terms as this. Alderman Harrison, chsirman of the National Reds ‘ration of Municipal Passen,er Iransvort Lmployers said, ' "a new concept of industrial. relitions has been introduced in Britain" How right he was. Finmeial Blackmail’
No agreement such as this could have been agreed to if the members had been fully conversant with the f cts It avnpears that it hes been essentisl to keep the members in the dark so that pressure could then be pout on the delegates to accent or reject. The onus was nlaced on the eele,ates and this was not foir. This is not a National agreement but a National disaster" "An employee leaving the service of the Undertaking for any reason before he has completed two years service shall not receive any Service Payment for the service yerr in «hich he leaves snd shall refund to the Undertaking any such payment as he may have received thst year"
"Tf the absence is collective on the vart of a number of employees, the current six-monthly service payment shall be automatically withheld from them. ‘dhe matter may be referred to an annropriate committee of the Nationel Council sitting under an independent chairman. The decision of this committee to confirm or very this penalty shall be binding on the parties concerned. ‘Should the Committee fail to agree the matter shall be decided by the independent -chairman acting with powers of an umpire and his decision shall be binding on the parties" The reader can see from these clauses the financial blackmail
referred to. One to keep neople on the job and secondly to
keep them at work.
another major concession given to the employers , one they
have long wanted, is that over the introduction of
the 36 foot single decker. again I quote from the agreement:
"In the event of a difference or differences with re, ard to
the introduction of such vehicles it is agreed that these
vehicles shall be operated and shall continue to operate and
the difference or differences shall be referred by either
party to the National Council for action in accordance ith
the Constitution"
In the past in many localities where there was a dispute over
vehicles the men refused to take them out. But this is all
over under the ne* agreement. In other sords *e can argue
as long as the manayement will let us, then out they go and
the objections go up to the National Council. Providing the
employer stays inside the national agreement then he cannot
lose.
Again for many years there has been strong feeliny against the
introduction of one man operstion. under this new agreement
the introduction is made more easy than it has ever been.
Employers can now go mad on this and order their sinle
deckers.
wé@ have been sold for 30 pieces of silver and the sooner we
all realise it the better. All‘ busmen's branches should
demand informs tior/to the real state of things concerning
this agreement before it is too late.
In finality may I say this. The public tr -nsport in this
country has alxays been run at the exnense of the-\orkers.in
this industry ; nov, you will ,et it even cheaper still. Could
this be why our alleged bonus vayment has not been given much
coverage in the vress or even referred to George Brovn?.