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E7 claim looms from TGWU drivers

11th August 1984
Page 5
Page 5, 11th August 1984 — E7 claim looms from TGWU drivers
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

THE Transport and General Workers' Union is to claim £7 on all grades in next winter's haulage sector pay round. The subsistence claim will be £1, and the union will go for a one hour reduction in the present 40 hour basic working week. A rate for 38 tonners will be sought in areas where none exists at present. JACK SEMPLE reports.

These four points form the recommendation of the union's road haulage national conference, which was slimmed down to around 50 delegates this year and comprised _representatives from the union's negotiating groups. Minor additions to the claim may be made by loyal union groups, but the recommendation is almost certain to form the basis of the claim throughout the country.

The £7 claim on basic rates takes account of a belief by the union that the rate of inflation is likely to rise.

Taken overall, the claim is intentionally moderate and avoids a lengthy list of demands on terms and conditions. The union believes that this approach is much more likely to bring constructive response from haulage employers.

Last year the union claimed £6 on basic rates, and achieved this settlement in many areas. Elsewhere, £5.50 was a common settlement.

Renewed efforts will be made by the union to enforce local collective agreements, partly through a new framework of regular shop steward meetings. This has been a problem facing the union since the legal requirement to pay agreed wage rates was withdrawn, and union efforts are likely to be supported by at least some employers.

Where they exist, area wage agreements range from £93.50 to £100 for 40 hours for driving 32.5-tonners, and from £96.50 to £104 for 38-tonners. Meeting the full claim would lead to rises of between seven and 7.5 per cent for 32.5-tonners and between 6.7 and 7.2 per cent for 38-tonners.

No formal claim had been notified to the Road Haulage Association as we closed for press this week, and a spokesman declined to make any comment.

Meanwhile the RHA is to offer the TGWU formal national meetings, although terms and conditions of employment will not be open for discussion at the proposed forum. The RHA has strongly resisted union attempts to restore national pay talks, and its representatives on the forum would include members from outside the national industrial relations committee.

The approach will be wel corned by the union, however. Both sides believe there is common ground between the two sides and issues which would benefit from a concerted joint approach.

Once contact has been established between the two sides, the TGWU is likely to want to reopen the question of a national pension scheme. Pension provisions are much more extensive in the own-account sector than in haulage, and a national scheme would have the added advantage of allowing drivers to transfer pension rights from one haulier to another. The union sees a pension scheme as the natural extention of agreements on sickness and accident benefits.

Union representatives of authorised oil distributors were to have their first ever national delegate conference this week. They will consider methods of drawing up a standard claim which takes account of complicated productivity deals agreed at company level. The oil trades delegates conference has already agreed a claim to put to major oil companies this autumn which is slightly above the claim for road haulage.


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