W Midlands demands drastic cut in hours
Page 7
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
• Union representatives in the West Midlands are seeking a five-hour cut in the working week as part of their annual pay claim to the local RHA district office.
The TGWU is seeking a 35hour basic working week without loss of pay, together with an .28 across-the-board increase in the weekly wage, and a 2 increase in the overnight subsistence allowance to 23.30.
The West Midlands area is the first to call for a 35-hour basic working week. All the other areas have limited their demands on hours to a 39-hour week.
The 8-a-week increase represents a 7.5% rise in basic earnings for a driver on an average basic weekly wage at the area's 32.5 tonne rate, to £114.75.
The Tyneside branch of the TGWU has submitted its annual pay claim to the north eastern office of the RHA. The union is seeking a £7-aweek across-the board increase in basic pay, together with a 39-hour working week, and an extra ,22 on the overnight allowance.
The next meeting of the Scottish JIC on November 17 will thrash out the differences between the wage claim and the latest offer from the hauliers north of the border.
The Scottish claim covers twelve items ranging from basic pay (an increase of £.8 a week is wanted), subsistence allowance increase), hours of work (reduction to 39), annual holidays, annual holiday pay, bereavement leave, and banded starting time to pension for loss of hgv licence.
The offer on the table is a 2.6 per cent increase on basic wages (worth .R2.85 on the 32 tonne rate of V09.50). Employers have also undertaken to honour the previous agreement to increase the subsistence allownace in accordance with the RPI September figure (an increase of three per cent) and to look at increasing sickness benefit. They have rejected all the other items in the claim.