Merseyside Haulage Disputes Settled
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DiSPUTES between the Conference of Liverpool and District Road Transport Employers and the Liverpool and District Carters' and Motormen's Section of the Transport and General Workers' Union have been settled by the Industrial Disputes Tribunal.
A claim by workers handling meat for an extra 8s. a week has been dismissed. An application by the employers to have an agreement with the workers amended to make the carrying of a mate optional on a solo vehicle of up to 6 tons payload has also failed.
The claim for extra wages was the result of an award by the Industrial Court in August, 1950, of an additional 8s. a week to meat haulage workers in London. The Liverpool employees claimed that the conditions of transporting meat were the same in the Merseyside district as in London.
The employers replied that there was no relationship between the conditions and that on Merseyside, meat transport was normally combined with general haulage work. The bulk of the workers concerned in the present claim, the employers" said. spent at least 40 per cent. of their time on general haulage. They also contended that meat transport required no more skill than was needed in carrying general goods. The Tribunal found that the claim was not established.
The application concerning mates sought to raise the critical payload figure from 5 tons to 6 tons. In return, the employers offered to increase the pay of drivers of 5-6-ton vehicles to £6 4s. per week, an advance of 6s. The employers' claim has been dismissed.