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Rise of people power?
Page 3
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I once asked my admittedly younger colleague if she remembered the miners' strike. She replied: "I've seen Billy Riot,referring to the film set in the North-East of England in 1984.
While it would be lazy to draw parallels between the miners strike and the current industrial dispute between the Royal Mail and members of the Communications Workers Union, it demonstrates that the last time the UK faced massive industrial action is now outside the memories of some of the younger generation.
Elsewhere in th.e pages of CM, you will see construction hauliers in the Isle of Man on a go-slow protest in Douglas after a Norfolk-based firm was selected for a multi-million-pound airport extension project.
So does all this mean that people power is on the rise again?
It's easy to make a case that the current economic uncertainties are more Likely to lead to a disenfranchised workforce desperate to protect their interests whatever they may be.
Consequently, road transport bosses need to make sure their employees do not fall into this trap. Businesses have had to change the way they operate in the past 12 months, and ensuring your workforce knows where it stands should be your number-one priority.
If I have learnt one thing from this industry, it is that the quality of the people you employ equates directly to your success.
Today, the risk of alienating your skilled and experienced workforce is far too big a problem to ignore.
• Don't forget to take part in our Trucking Britain Out of Recession initiative. Log on to www.
roadtransport.comibritain for more details.
Christopher Walton