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Strikes loom as talks break down
From the Bolton Evening News, first published Wednesday 12th Jul 2000.
Bus strike loom again THE threat of further bus strikes is looming as both sides in the First Manchester dispute failed to get back to the negotiating table.
The deadlock comes over a number of preconditions set up by the Transport and General Workers Union.
The union wants its convenor to take office in the bus company's administrative building in Oldham.
The convenor, Mick Cavanagh, was moved to another office in the Oldham depot at the start of the dispute in February.
The company said it did not want the union to have access to confidential information circulating within the administration block.
But this has proved to be a stumbling block in the fresh talks called for this week.
The union is adamant they will not discuss anything until the preconditions are met and Mr Cavanagh admitted they had not ruled out further industrial action.
He said: "The situation is in deadlock. The firm believes we may use the telephones, fax and photocopier machines to further the dispute and has sent out misconduct warning letters to staff.
"We want those letters withdrawn and the office back in the administration block back."
First Manchester said a letter sent to the management by the union had not withdrawn the threat of more strikes but added that it was prepared to waive its objection to negotiating while action was still hanging in the air.
The management has offered a pay increase of 4.5 per cent in return for a longer working day. This has been rejected by the Transport and General Workers Union.
First Manchester operations director Russell Gard said: "Why the union should now choose to introduce such a silly precondition as the use of a convenor's office is beyond my understanding.
"First Manchester has tried so hard to get the talks going again and now a peripheral yet so obviously unacceptable issue has been introduced.
"Together we have been to ACAS and have not been able to reach agreement.
"Introducing silly preconditions at this late stage leads us to question the union's agenda and doubt their sincerity."
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