o axe RTITB
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:itude at the opening of an house training school at Sutas of St Helens: "Not a singtraining school has been ened in London or the South 1st in the past 20 years," he id.
Union leaders strongly suprt the retention of the board its present form and they e disgusted at the Governant's U-turn. United Road -ansport Union leader Frank Ifni slams the White Paper "a typical example of shortghtedness.
In France and West Gerany they are expanding their lining programmes in prepation for 19992. Experience Lows that unless training is ntrally organised it simply es not happen. I am appalled at we can have such a laissez ire approach to training." "How in God's name is the CITB supposed to function thout a secure income?" iffm asks.
The Fowler proposal is part a plan to do away with the yen remaining industrial aining boards and replaces ern with "training and enterise councils" run by the priite sector.
These bodies will not have e power to impose levies by statute and they will be left to generate income from voluntary subscriptions and from charges for their services.
At present, the RTITB imposes a payroll levy of 0.8% on firms with a wage bill larger than £24,500. That raised £25 million this year which will be lost from training if the board is disbanded. The Government will also be able to claw back any money it gave to the board out of its 2405 million European Social Fund grant.
In contrast to the unions, the employers' Road Haulage Association sees some merit in the plan: "Our concern is that there is a serious need for training in the industry and we don't want it to go by default," it says. "It is by no means a perfect answer and we want time to look at potential gaps, such as own-account operator training, but we do see an opportunity for the group training associations to do very well in the new environment created by the White Paper."
It is a view shared by Phil Lindgren of the Wessex GTA: "We don't think we would be badly affected by the end of the RTITB," he says. "Without it we would be able to run free."