Steel drivers ballot over pay freeze call
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by Karen Mlles and Amanda Bradbury • A disagreement over the acceptance of a pay freeze at British Steel haulier Thompson Freight Services has led to a call for a ballot to test the company's will.
About 20 drivers at the Scunthorpe-based company are expected to hold the ballot within three weeks and to decide whether to take industrial action over the proposed freeze. The drivers, all members of the United Road Transport Union, have decided "enough is enough", according to one source, because of small wage increases over the past four years.
Fellow Scunthorpe steel haulier Consolidated Land Services is currently in wage negotiations with URTU, although the company denies that it has offered a % rise.
Both hauliers, who are thought to work mostly for British Steel's Scunthorpe site, are asking drivers to accept lower increases than the 3% rise agreed in their Joint Industrial Council area round.
Thompson Freight Services says it is unable to give an increase because of the difficult commercial situation.