Tricky Start I
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NEXT week the National Negotiating Committee for the Road Haulage Industry (Hire or Reward) holds what might well be described as its first " serious " meeting, as its only previous one was the July inaugural meeting. Even before next week's meeting the procedure has been evoked whereby local disputes which are unresolved can be referred to an emergency sub-committee. In this instance, 11 Birmingham haulage companies have sent to the subcommittee a claim for £3 a week differential in wages of Birminghambased drivers. Failure to get their way resulted in the Transport and General Workers' Union calling local strike action and amending their original claim of £2 to the present £3 a week. This would not seem to be the happiest of atmospheres for the NNC to begin its work, and hauliers outside the Birmingham area inevitably will tend to judge the value of the new organization by the manner in which its first hurdle is cleared.
Obviously such disputes are bound to arise; on the face of it, the presence of the emergency procedure is an excellent way of handling them. But to be really effective it should be able to move fast enough to deliberate before strike action takes place, because this always leaves the sharp cleavage between employer and worker that makes negotiation so much more difficult. It should also be able to command responsible behaviour from the parties in any difference it is asked to resolve.
Yesterday afternoon's meeting of the emergency sub-committee could therefore assume a greater significance than consideration of a local dispute. Once the effect of the meeting can be assessed, inevitably it will be—at least to some extent—a judgment of the value of the National Negotiating Committee.