GLASGOW REPORT from Tony Southall Busmen work to rule
Following the unofficial strike some months back the Corporation busmen have again initiated action. On this occasion their complsint is over the lenethy delays in introducing the 40-hour week and in the national pay nersotiations for provincial busmen. The district officials of the TGWU have been compelled to recognise the action which is so far limited to a ban on overtime and a work to rule, Busmen at many g2razes outside Glasgow are joining in and there Wis a - strike in one samge in Midlothian over a conductor who tried to work overtime. There is a likelihood of Edinburgh busmen joining in. Some indication of the conditions under which Glascow busmen work is that one of the key provisions in the rules which are being worked to is that buses will not exceed the speed limit to make up lost time! The overtime ban has led to % of the buses being off the road at the peak period. Struggle against redundancy at Linwood.
Given the isolation of the car workers at Linwood (Rootes), the agreement reached last week that each man in some sections should be laid off for 1 week in 5 is the best that could be expected. The production line has been on a 4-day week for the past 3 months and the management proposal was to sack 400 of the 2,600 labour force. But the new plan, advanced by the shop stewards, without any aid from their local officials, has saved these men's jobs and shown, in that it was overwhelmingly endorsed by the workers, that some degree of solidarity exists in the plant. Rickets re-appears in Glaszow
Rickets has re-appeared in Glaszow - 9 cases in 1963 and 24 already this year. The disease had been non-existent since 1956. A look at the area ~distribution shows that poor housing conditions and overcrowding are the chief contributing factors. Other aspects revenled in Medical Officer of Health's report for last year are that the infant mortality rate remains at 32 per 1,000 (national average 24) - this too varies with AFCA, Cefe, Gorbdalss 523; Kelvinoves 193 Death rate per 100,900 from TB has increased from 18 to 21