T&G calls for £5 minimum
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by Karen Miles • Employers in the road transport sector will face driver demands for a minimum wage of £5 an hour in this year's pay round. Last week Transport and General Workers Union shop stewards decided to push for the rate—and for a further 5% for drivers who are already on £5 an hour or more.
The shop stewards, who represent thousands of HGV drivers, were encouraged by Exel Logistics' capitulation earlier in the week. Faced with a strike. Exel management agreed to a 15% increase in wages over two years for its lowest paid drivers, taking the rate to £5 an hour by April.
T&G national secretary Danny Bryan says: "This deal becomes the yardstick for measuring success. Other drivers are saying that staying as we are is no longer necessary."
Employers starting their negotiations with T&G shop stewards will also be faced with demands for an extra £2 on overnight allowances—current payments range from £17 to £22—and a request for portable pensions.
While the European Commission works on its proposals for a 48-hour week in the road
transport sector, the T&G wants to push nationally for shorter hours and 25 days' holiday with no loss of pay.
The £5-an-hour figure was also part of last year's T&G claim but shop stewards are more confident that this year employers will have to accept it as driver shortages bite.
The Exel Logistics deal covers 3,200 distribution staff. The drivers' wages will rise by 6'7p from /4.39 over the next two years.
The company says the increases will be part-funded through efficiencies and productivity improvements.