Small firms fail to rally round BAR
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LACK OF support of the British Association of Removers by small companies has been highlighted at the BAR 1977 Conference.
Speaking at the conference as chairman of the BAR Inland Group Council (UK removers), Derek Blatchford said attendance of such companies was falling off."
"At a time when it is more vital than ever to get together within the industry to cooperate and participate to meet the constricting pressures from outside, support from the small company is what the Association needs most."
Referring to moves towards consumer protection, Mr, Blatchford said that member companies would not oppose this as they believed in giving value for money.
"Some forms of control on our industry are necessary to ensure financial stability and overall quality of service, and this applies to all removers whothor mr‘mhprc. nr ('(SW boys.'
The moves to this end, said Mr Blatchford, are being spearheaded from Europe, with tachographs and driving hours, obviously for public safety.
Then there were Transport Managers Licences to standardise, and improve the quality of operational managers.
On the contract conditions and fair trading, there were differences between British Government and EEC views.
Mr Blatchford urged that any consumer protection legislation should apply equally to the 30 cwt operator, since if it did not, the small van operators would increase their share of the market to le disadvantage of the consumer.
Another major matter for debate was the question of a Guarantee Bond, similar to that of the Overseas Group. As most member companies were small he felt that a E500 bond would be about right and within the capacity of small member firms.