Law's men
Page 5
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
smash code
WEST MIDLANDS hauliers have defied the Government's 10 per cent pay guidelines and signed an agreement that will give drivers at 1,761 companies a 15 per cent pay rise.
Transport Minister William Rodgers has condemned the agreement as "damaging to the whole country." He called on the operators to reconsider the agreement before it comes into operation on November 28.
And, in a statement, Mr Rodgers gave a thinly veiled warning that hauliers will not be allowed to increase their prices to pay for the rise. "This will have severe consequences for the road haulage industry and others, and there is no justification for increased prices because of it," he said.
It has also been suggested that the Inland Revenue could begin to tax overnight allowances paid to drivers.
But West Midlands Road Haulage Association area secretary Bob Ward slammed the Government: "This was a freely negotiated agreement and I don't like the interference of a third party.
"They should either come in as a Government and introduce legislation or stay out of it.
"We have had some tough talking over this agreement, but it has been freely reached," said Mr Ward.
The agreement follows comments by the men's leader, Transport and General Workers' Union commercial group secretary Alan Law at the CM FMC last week.
"They say a maximum of 10 per cent and we say free unfettered bargaining. Our instructions from our general executive council are 'don't put the firms out of business thereby creating redundancies by , asking for unreasonable figures'," Mr Law said.