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Ministry assurances for tachograph strikers

11th October 1968
Page 28
Page 28, 11th October 1968 — Ministry assurances for tachograph strikers
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

• Armed with the promise that the MoT plans talks with all interested parties about the Transport Bill proposal for the compulsory fitting of tachographs, it was expected that union leaders would be able to bring about an end to the fortnight-long strike of tanker drivers in the North.

Following a meeting in London on Tuesday, Mr. Jackson Moore, general secretary of the United Road Transport Union, was given a letter, which has been sent to the other unions concerned, by Mr. Neil Carmichael, Parliamentary Secretary, MoT, giving an assurance that the Bill contained only an enabling clause and that the Minister would need to lay regulations before Parliament before the fitting of tachographs became law. The letter said meetings would be called this year and what precisely the tachograph would be recording had still to be discussed. Additionally, the manufacturers would need about 12 months to put the device into mass production.

Mr. Moore told CM that while it was realized the Ministry would seek agreement on the type of tachograph to be used, his union would continue to argue that their use was unnecessary and try to persuade the Ministry to shelve the proposal altogether. The letter was presented to the men at a meeting on Wednesday evening.

These steps were taken following last week's unofficial stoppage of tanker drivers in the North West employed by Smith and Robinson Ltd., Pickfords tank haulage service and Ancliff (BIT) Ltd. As a result of this hundreds of filling stations have run out of petrol. Pickets kept up a "siege" outside Manchester's two main petrol depots to prevent vehicles leaving to deliver supplies.

It was claimed that many drivers who wanted to work were being intimidated and at one factory, as vehicles tried to leave, ball bearings were catapulted at them smashing window screens. Some vehicles got away in convoy under police escort.

Earlier in the week the strike had spread to the North East. A meeting of members of the Road Haulage Association on Teesside was held on Monday—less than half of the companies were found to be affected. It was decided that there was nothing they could do collectively because it was militant action against the will of government by an official body and that the best course was for members individually to talk to their employees. This they did and at a meeting next day many employers reported that drivers had been persuaded to return to work. In many cases an undertaking had been received that the men would not strike again unless they received official union call.


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