Realistic'cleals:RHA
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AST WINTER's wage negotiaions brought in area settlenents of between 4.9 per cent Ind 8.6 per cent, according to he Road Haulage Association, vhich described the overall picure as "realistic".
RHA industrial relations officer )oug Taylor said that he was )articularly gratified this year to earn of full settlements in all but me area, whereas last year's raumatic negotiations ended vith three areas — West Midands, North-West England, and East Midlands — having no deal. The percentage increases, in act, give a misleading impres;ion, for although the lowest >ettlement at West Cumbria took .hat area to the bottom of the eague, the highest rise in South Nales only took it into the mid 3round of final settlements.
"We have not tried to screw mybody down this year. The ;ettlements reflect an even balrice between hauliers' ability to )ay and drivers' aspirations," Mr laylor added.
On the other hand, Transport snd General Workers Union ..:ommercial group secretary Jack Ashwell, whose members set a £100 per week basic and a 35-hour week target for wages, said that he deplored the Nidening of differentials which has crept into this year's pattern. He said he anticipated that operators would complain when low wage areas started to compete with high wage areas when an industrial recovery comes.
In the meantime, the TGWU's plans for a two-tier negotiating structure will be considered next month (CM, March 13) despite vehement RHA disapproval of the idea.
RHA national chairman Ken Rogers last week told Nottingham members that the idea of national negotiations, followed by local "top-up" talks, was unacceptable. "We will not have that," he said.