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Work time: 'Don't surrender'
Page 18
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The head of the British Aggregates Association accuses the FTA and RHA of giving up the fight over the VVID and road charging. David Craik reports.
THE HEAD of the British Aggregates Association (BAA) has lashed out at the trade associations over what he calls their surrender to the WorkingTime Directive and Lorry Road User Charging.
Following a letter to the heads of the Freight Transport and Road Haulage Associations, BAA director Robert Durward told CM the trade associations were suffering from -Stockholm Syndrome'; the emotional bonding which develops between captors and captives. He says this has stopped them effectively challenging the government's stance on LRUC and the WTD.
Durward believes both the FTA and RHA see the new laws as a fait accompli: -The bigger members of these associations think that these new laws will help drive up transport rates and help profits.They are forgetting the negative impact on the bottom end of the industry" Ina letter to both groups he warns that the WTD will add as much as 30% to the delivered cost of UK products He also puts the argument for rebated fuel being made available for essential road transport as an alternative to LRUC: "We recognise the effort made by the FTA/RHA in lobbying against the WTD: however, we would be extremely concerned if you really do regard the battle as being lost."
Durward says:"I am not terribly impressed with the replies [to my letter]. We will continue to argue against the WTD."
Richard Turner, chief executive of the FTA,says:"We have already raised with the DtT one of the issues in the quarry industry: who is responsible for keeping the working time records of owner-operator drivers.This has helped quarry companies absolve themselves of the responsibilities for recording and policing drivers' compliance with working time limits." Roger King, chief executive of the RHA,adds that the LRUC does offer some positive opportunities, like a 25p/lit fuel rebate and the charging of foreign trucks. He says: "We have argued our case against the WTD for over four years now. The UK government cannot opt out under current EU law so it is pointless to keep demanding it."