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TGWU calls for stilt lallot at BRS

21st July 1988, Page 4
21st July 1988
Page 4
Page 5
Page 4, 21st July 1988 — TGWU calls for stilt lallot at BRS
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

• The Transport and Genera Workers Union is calling for at all-out national strike at BRS, the National Freight Consortium's truck rental, contract hire and distribution group.

The union is angry that BR.5. wants to scrap its national wage negotiating machinery and impose regional pay awards. "We are totally opposed to devolved bargaining," says the TGWU, "and wi are seeking to convince the management at BRS that they should continue with their national wage agreements."

BRS has four operating divisions in England and Wales: BRS Southern, BRS Northern, BRS Midlands and BRS Western. The company has been talking to the union for most a this year about setting drivers' fitters', warehousemen's and clerical supervisors' wage rates in these four areas locally.

The company says that independent local wage agreement: are nothing new within BRS. Scottish Road Services, for instance, has always negotiated separately.

The union, however, says that it does not like the highhanded attitude that the BRS management has brought to the negotiating table. Its shop stewards have "unanimously rejected the management proposals".

Workplace ballots will now be held at BRS depots around the country. "We will be recommending national strike action," says the union. "Our shop stewards see the plans as a direct threat to our national pay rates. We are convinced that the company wants to exploit regional labour markets and pay drivers in high unemployment areas far less than drivers in the South East."

BRS does not dispute this. Its plan is in line with an NFCwide policy decision taken eight years ago to fragment overall national agreements. "They just mean equal misery for all," says an NFC spokesman. "National rates do not reflect the way individual BRS companies are performing. How can we attract drivers in the highly successful South East

hen we are paying too much Cornwall and the North ast?" The company is connced that a large number of rass roots TGWU members could welcome local pay deals. The TGWU believes that the .gional employment argument only part of BRS's rationale. s the company moves into edicated distribution deals, it , finding that its old wage ites are inadequate, says the nion. "They're having to face p to this problem fast." The nion says that more recruit more in-house training and etter overall rates and prosects would rejuvenate emloyment prospects at BRS. Scotland's rates are lower than average because it is excluded from the national negotiations, it says.

Last year BRS increased turnover by 12%, upped its trading profit by 33% to 219 million, and confirmed its position as the NFC's leading operating division. It is Britain's biggest contract hire and rental company with nearly 12,000 vehicles, 1,300 tractor units and 7,000 employees.

El Some 800 lorry drivers and other distribution workers at Coca-Cola and Schweppes Beverages were due to hold a national strike ballot today (21 July).


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