Leeds unlocks wages deadlock
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LEEDS and District Haulage Federation has agreed a pay deal with the Transport and General Workers Union—the first settlement in the latest round of wage talks.
And the agreement could show the way to the rest of the country, which is deadlocked over the question of subsistence levels.
The operators' negotiators throughout Britain have conceeded the union's claim for a £6 pay increase, but have been fighting the demand for subsistence to be upped to £5.
They have been sticking to an offer of £4.50, a rise of 27 per cent, because they believe it is in line with the Govern ment's present wage policies.
The union has been considering this offer but already in some areas has urged its members to reject it.
Now the Leeds deal could see a peaceful end to the conflict. Both sides have agreed that as a temporary measure subsistence will be increased from £3.50 to £4.50. The claim for £5 will go to the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Board, which puts the problem firmly in the Department of Employment's court.
The deal was worked out on the eve of a threatened strike by union members. It is expected to put 121 per cent on haulage rates.