Roadline strike threat recedes
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THE THREAT of strike action at National Freight's ailing Roadline parcels subsidiary has subsided, but British Road Services drivers have rejected the company's latest wage offer.
Transport and General Workers' Union representatives meet Roadline management today (Saturday) to discuss progress on the plan to close Roadline and merge its strongest parts into National Carriers-Roadline, a National Carriers Parcelsdominated business.
The TGWU has not balloted its members at Roadline over a programme of industrial action, but local soundings revealed no strong support for a strike.
"Times •being as they are, although our members are fed up to the teeth with the company, we got feedback that the vast majority want to be
made redundant,TGWU officer John Moore told CM.
If this is so, it poses the TGWU with the prospect of being outnumbered by National Carriers' National Union of Railwaymen membership in the new company. Talks between the two unions are being held to resolve their future relationship.
National Carriers-Roadline managing director Graham Roberts disputes the TGWU's claim about the numbers of' employees seeking redundancy settlements.
-Our experience is that out of 2,000 Roadline workers, 730 have already agreed to transfer to the new company and many more have asked to transfer," he told CM.
He added that the entire work forces of Roadline's depots in Gloucester and Swansea totalling over 15if people have already agreed to transfer, and said that some shop stewards have changed their views from total opposition to agreement.
Meanwhile, BRS's offer to increase basic pay for drivers by between £5.81) and $:6.15 per week and add 75p to overnight suhsistence payments, and to raise fitters' pay by between E5.80 and £6 a week has been rejected by the TGWU.
The union had claimed a k:111 increase, and according to Moore the company refuses to consider compensation for drivers whose IRA/ licences are revoked on medical grounds. "Most other NFC companies will," he added.
"We feel annoyed that BRS is comparing its agreement with Road Haulage Association rates, We are not in the 'wally end of the market' of general haulage," Moore claimed.