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Sohn drivers warn of pay cuts after WM shift
Page 7
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• by Sally Nash Eddie Stobart drivers are warning they could be 2800 worse off a month if the company forces through big changes to shift patterns as a result of the Working Time Directive.
Over the last few weeks, Stobart managers have told drivers in one-to-one meetings that the company is considering ending the practice of long-distance 'tramping', and introducing double-shifting of vehicles in preparation for the working time regulations, which will limit drivers to an average 48 hours per week.
Stobart, which introduced a pay raise earlier this year equating to 20p an hour, is now offering drivers another 20p an hour to compensate for the resultant loss of hours.
But many drivers are horrified by the proposals: "This latest 20p an hour rise is an insult," says one driver. "My hours are
now going down from 15 [overnight] to just 12 la day]. Once the two rises have been taken into account, I reckon I will be between £600 and £800 worse off a month. And it's not just me—everybody has raised these concerns." He says his hourly rate now stands at £6.70 while other local distribution firms pay up to £9 an hour.
Drivers dispute the haulier's insistence earlier this year that it was trying to lessen its dependence on agency drivers, and they also claim that staff turnover is on the increase. One driver says he found out that nine drivers have left from two depots in the last week alone.
Morale among drivers is said to be at an all-time low. A request to work the last bank holiday is understood to have been turned down by around three-quarters of drivers. Drivers say they are increasingly 'working to rule', sticking to 40mph speed limits on A-roads and 50mph on dual carriageways.
But Eddie Stobart human resources manager Sheila Woodbridge stresses that the one-to-one meetings are purely consultations, aimed at assessing the impact of any potential changes.
"This is not a 'fait accompli'," says Woodbridge. "We will be collating and analysing the information so that we have a clear record of particular concerns."
She defends Stobart's record on agency drivers, arguing that the company has been forced to take on more because key customers have seen volumes shoot up.
She also refutes claims of high driver turnover. According to the company, this year's turnover figure stands at 20%— down from 27% last year. The latest 20p an hour deal will take effect from 6 July.