Haulage Man-power Problem Becoming Serious
Page 35
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
CASES in whichdrivers taken from a ....Yorkshire haulage firm are now being employed on pick-and-shovel work, whilst a mechanic transferred from the same firm is doing duty as a policeman, were reported during a discussion on haulage man .power at last week's meeting of members of the Federation of Yorkshire Road Transport Employers.
Concern was voiced at what was described as the serious position caused in the haulage industry in Yorkshire by the transfer of employees to the Forces or to other War service, and a resolution was adopted expressing the opinion that, in the light of actual information, "saturation point" in the transfer of personnel from the • industry has now been reached. The resolution directed the secretary to continue his negotiations with man . power boards and other authorities in .Yorkshire, "with a view to safeguarding the industry as much as is practicable."
Mr. IIarry Clark, manager and secretary t!Of the Federation, said that the transfer of labour from road holage in Yorkshire wad' making grave inroads into the supply of drivers, mechanics and even office workers. In some cases, which the Federation had taken up on behalf of members, he had had a certain amount of success in securing the retention of employees, but the general tendency further to denude the industry of experienced workers was disturbing Mr. J. E. Archbold (Leeds) said it was anomalous that whilst an operator who owned a number of heavy goods vehicles was not reserved, his employees driving the vehicles were,
Mr. F. Thompson (Leeds), the chairman, suggested that the authorities thought a man in a managerial post could be better replaced by an older man than could the driver of a heavy goods vehicle.
Remarking that there was inconsistency in deferment decisions, as between one part of the country and another, a member quoted the cases of two of his drivers, one employed in Yorkshire and the other on shunting work in London. In principle, the applications were identical, but whereas the driver in London was reserved indefinitely, reservation in the other case was limited to six months.
Mr. J. S. Hutchinson (Huddersfield) said that girls who had been specfficallyorained to take men's places in the haulage industry were...now being transferred to other work by the authorities.