1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256 
DRIVERS STILL WRANGLING OVER FASTER SCHEDULES
Page 62
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
FROM OUR INDUSTRIAL CORRESPONDENT
ACLEARER indication was expected to emerge this week on how much confidence can he placed on the undertaking of the road transport unions (The Commercial Motor last week) that they would co-operate in the introduction of improved running schedules for lorries. The occasion was the resumption of negotiations between the TGWU and the management of Shell-Mex and BP Ltd.
In earlier talks last month the union rejected a productivity scheme which aimed to achieve faster running schedules related to the maximum legal speed limit for lorries of 40 m.p.h. It was also designed to reduce substantially the considerable amount of overtime worked at present. Instead the unions put forward their own proposals for a new pay and hours structure.
In spite of the fact that a date had been set for the company's reply to these proposals, some 1,350 tanker drivers at 20 Shell-Mex and BP depots in the North
cl 2 West, the Midlands and South Wales staged a token strike last week.
Essential services to hospitals, schools and other establishments were maintained and the stoppage caused little trouble. The strike, which seems to have originated at Preston, supposedly in protest against alleged delays in the negotiations, was condemned by union officials.
One of the men's complaints was that it took 20 hours' overtime for them to earn a living wage. While not agreeing with this assessment, the company stated that they had been conscious .for some time of the long hours of work in the industry and had been seeking ways of reducing them. Preliminary talks with the union had begun more than a year ago and an incentive bonus scheme put to all operatives last April. The effect of this would have been to reduce hours through certain improvements in delivery times without reduction in average earnings.
In July the company was officially informed of the rejection of this scheme. It was then that they worked out the modified scheme which was turned down by the union last month.
It how remains to be seen how far the pressure, first, from the National Board for Prices and Incomes in its report on road haulage rates and, second, from the Minister of Labour, Mr. Ray Gunter, in his talks with the unions, has had any effect. This will certainly make it more difficult to reject out of hand proposals for speeding up schedules. But opposition to the 40 m.p.h. speed limit is deeply ingrained and it will be something of a breakthrough if it is now accepted.
Van Driver Competition : Winner of the latest van drivers' competition of Wilkinson Sword Ltd. was Mr. R. W. Smith, of Northolt. Middlesex. The competition is based on efficiency, courtesy, personal smartness, condition of vehicles and road safety.