We want more money not tachos union
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A BRANCH of the Transport and General Workers Union has called the tachograph an instrument of management control. In a report published earlier this week the Birmingham branch of the TGWU said that the millions of pounds needed to install lachos would be better spent on real safety improvements for laeavy lorries.
The report says that unlike nany jobs which have been tripped of all interest and res)onsibility lorry drivers are ;till captains of their own :hips.
This should continue to be he case and they should still lave responsibility for their own work rhythm.
"The only ones in the position to appreciate how much stress they are under with the changing road, traffic and weather conditions, how much sleep they have missed, how much work they have on, their vehicles' performance qualities, how much rest they need and when they should take it is the driver."
Objecting to the introduction of the tacho and the shorter EEC driving hours regulations, the report says that drivers welcome the onset of an eight-hour driving day, but not in the legally enforceable sense.
They want the eight hour driving day to come about by the basic wage being raised so that drivers do not have to work longer hours to maintain their families.
The report claims that the prime object of the tacho is to control the pattern of work for management purposes.
As well as discussing tachos and hours regulations, the TGWU report also looks at other aspects of the road haulage industry.
It supports legislation to enforce noise control measures, additional braking systems, anti jack-knife systems and anti roll suspension for tankers.
Overnight rest facilities for drivers are also called for so that drivers can get a proper night's rest, rather than sleeping in the cab. These are some of the ways in which the money used for introducing the tacho could be better deployed says the report.