NO OVERTIME BAN FOR LONDON
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THE threatened ban on overtime by London's busmen over the proposed cut in schedules was called off a few hours before it was due to start on Wednesday. But the decision at a hurriedly summoned emergency conference of delegates from the 99 garages came too late to stop some disruption of services, and it was not expected that all services would be back to normal until midnight tonight (Friday).
The long and acrimonious conference on Tuesday afternoon—it went on for nearly five hours—was the climax to a week of intensive efforts by union leaders and the London Transport Board to avoid yet another disastrous industrial dispute. It began almost as soon as another delegate conference on Wednesday of last week voted in favour of the ban.
The agreement reached laid down that in future years special reduced schedules should be operated during the summer months when passenger traffics are at a reduced level because of holidays and staff holidays reduced the number of Crews available. But this year special Schedules will not be introduced except where local staff shortages make it necessary.
On the 40-hour week it was agreed that it should be applied in principle from March 17, but that crews should work the additional rest day each four weeks which was due to be granted to them until next October, when the shorter working week will actually come into force. They will be paid for this extra day at overtime rates of time and a half, which will give them an extra 21s. 3d. a week. The cost to London Transport will be about £750,000. The cuts in services due to be introduced on January 27 will be brought in, but no further area schemes will be introduced until the autumn.
A condition of the agreement is that staff will ' co-operate and there will be no ban on voluntary overtime or restday working either generally or at a particular garage. In the event of such a ban occurring, London Transport reserves its rights under the agreement and will introduce measures to reduce service mileage or take such other steps as necessary to accord with the situation then prevailing.