itrike goes on as owl men lose out
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15,000 drivers in England and Scotland continued their ppling strike action, it became clear that at least some of takes freight is being moved by vehicles engaged in strike:siting operations.
Nen before crucial strike votes had been taken, in some areas fliers had been contacting their own and other operators' tomers to tell them that vehicles would be running during the Mite.
n the West Midlands, Road alage Association secretary ) Ward told CM that some 'Hers from the London area I been moving freight ally carried by strikeInd West Midlands men at ic-load rates.
"The trouble is that even hen the trouble is over, the cal men will probably have st their customers," said Mr tard.
But even with strikeTaking going on in the area, ily 36 companies employing )0 drivers in the West lidlands, out of a total mem?rship of the RHA of 1,727 mipanies, were involved.
Mr Ward added that some mpanies were being pre vented from working by pickets illegally set up at the gates of hauliers' customers' premises. "This is having a disproportionate effect," he said.
And the West Midlands men have reached agreement with the Transport and General Workers Union representatives over a new agreement. Hauliers will match the highest general level of settlement at the end of the dispute and then negotiate further on all outstanding matters.
In other areas too, there has been movement by hauliers coming in from other areas and offering cut-rate haulage. One East Anglian customer reported three calls from hauliers outside his area offering to carry his freight.
Owner-drivers in the north of England have told CM that they will continue running despite union warnings not to do so. One driver commented: "I had a seven week lay-off last year and it nearly broke me — I'm not doing it again,' he said.
As M went to press, the Road aulage Association was d1me to go to the head quarters of the Government's Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service, (ACAS) for talks with officials and it was expected that there would be a meeting between the RHA and the Transport and General Workers Union and the United Road Transport Union. • An ACAS spokesman told CM: "I think this going to be a delicate one — certainly it's not going to be a quick solution."
The men are claiming £65 for a 35-hour week but the RHA has offered only £60 for a 40-hour week — the equivalent of 13 per cent. With a possible 19 hours' overtime their claim, if met, would allow the men to earn E99.75 a week — almost 50 per cent more than the present agreement gives them.
Around the country the strike has been effective in closing most ports, and flying pickets have been turning vehicles away from docks and some of the customers' premises.
Drivers getting into ports have found that dockers sympathetic to their cause have refused to unload the vehicles.
An RHA spokesman told CM that the strike had only been effective where the entrances to premises had been controllable.
The spokesman added: "We have a credibility problem. In the past we have said that a figure is the final offer and then we have come up with more — but this is really the final offer."
Now the National Freight Corporation, which until now has dealt with the unions separately, is to be brought into the situation. A delegate conference of the Number One London district of the Transport and General Workers Union decided that it would put a pay claim to the NFC yesterday (Thursday) — and if it was not agreed at the first meeting, the Union would bring out its members on strike.
The claim would be for the old road-based companies within the NFC, including British Road Services — but as yet no details are known of the claim.
An NFC spokesman told CM: "Since we are not a party to the RHA discussions, and we are not in dispute with the union, it would be wholly premature to comment in advance," he said.
But it seemed likely that the NFC men would join the dispute because it is almost unheard-of for a claim to be agreed at the first meeting.
Despite repeated attempts to contact union officials this week, CM has not been able to obtain a TGWU or URTU comment on the situation.