ARC agrees rates with Dorset group
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• A group of owner-drivers who were threatening to sue ARC for allegedly not sticking to an operating cost formula in their contracts, withdrew their threat last week when the aggregates giant came forward with a settlement.
On the morning of the hearing the 13 drivers were promised a new formula for calculating haulage rates to be negotiated with ARC South-Western, Compensation will be paid to three drivers at the Portland site who, say the group, had to pay ARC up to £5,000 a year more than colleagues at Wareham and Ringwood for discounted fuel.
Tipper driver Peter Phillipps was awarded 1,4,500 at the hearing at Weymouth on 30 April. His colleagues Finn Featherstone and David Greening are to be given a compensation figure later this month.
The drivers are said to be "fairly happy" with the deal. If they cannot agree a formula within two months an independent arbitrator will be appointed.
Mick Binns, who runs the National Owner Drivers' Association, says the settlement is a victory for the drivers: "I am delighted that they managed to get ARC to back down and negotiate a haulage rate rather than impose it," he says.