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RHA slams [Cover ED
Page 7
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• by Emma Penny Road Haulage Association chairman Bob Russell has accused the European Commission of "gross negligence" in its research into the Working Time Directive.
Speaking at the RHA's annual lunch last week, Russett blasted the authorities for accepting flawed research on the directive: "It appears that four years
ago the Commission asked a firm called Cambridge Policy Consultants to have a look at the impact of the Directive in terms of costs. Described as "Regulatory Impact Assessment", their conclusions were. to say the least, startling.
"Apparently there are 326,000 drivers within the industry. That's clever because between them they drive 425,000 commercial vehicles! So we have a major problem with that basic fact. But then, after doubtless considerable number crunching, they conclude that costs will only rise by 0.2%.
"Our calculations show that if drivers continue to work the same hours as they do now and then they get the compensating time off in every 17-week period, we will have to give them the equivalent of 14 weeks paid holiday a year— plus bank holidays."
Russett concludes: "To base the introduction of such an important directive on such a blatant falsehood, is nothing short of gross negligence by the authorities in undertaking the cost assessment they are obliged to do under the Treaty of Rome, when introducing a new directive."
No-one at Cambridge Policy Consultants was available for comment as CM went to press.