A special Union?
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If small is beautiful the the United Road Transport Union with only 38,000 members must look well indeed; anc, what's more, it's bon political'
TRADES UNIONS are not having a very good Press at the moment, but they are a fact of life with which managers — and Government — must contend.
I dare say that, given the :hoice, many people in road [ransport would wish that some df the giant trades unions, such 35 the ubiquitous Transport and 3eneral Workers Union, could De magically replaced by, say, ialf a dozen smaller unions.
If "Small is Beautiful" be:ame the catch-phrase of the 3eventies, one trade union in [une with this sentiment is the Jnited Road Transport Union.
Compared with its big drother, the TGWU, URTU, Nith 38,000 members, is tiny.
But its numbers have grown very considerably in the past decade, and that probably .signifies a satisfied member In ten years time URTU will chieve the venerable status of a :entenarian. It began life as the Jnited Carter's Association; and JnIess my memory plays me 'else, when I first knew of it, in :he early days of the Road Hau
lage Executive, it was called the United Road Transport Workers Association. URTU trips of the tongue more easily.
URTU, although affiliated to -the TUC, is distinguished for being a non-political union.
Jackson Moore and his colleagues must be insufferably bored by many TUC discussions on wider political issues, since the union believes that politics should be left to politicians and that it wastes the energies of trades unions if they do not confine themselves to bread and butter issues, chiefly negotiating realistic pay rates with employers.
While I understand these sentiments I don't see how, in modern circumstances, a trade union or an employers' association can say "politics is not for
US.
Jackson Moore, like every union general secretary, is the loyal servant of his membership. I gather once or twice he has tried to change the consensus attitude — that URTU stays out of politics — but union conferences have endorsed the traditional policy.
This is not to say that URTU is a society of wholly non political animals. Many members have strong political views doubtless expressed through other channels.
Jackson Moore is not in the least defensive about the URTU philosophy: "Other unions should put it to the vote" he declares, hinting that if they had the courage to do so the results could be surprising — and embarrassing to some members of the TUC general council. Observers, says Jackson, should not assume that URTU members are predominantly Tories!
The difficulty of sustaining the URTU approach about nonintervention in political matters is highlighted, for me, by Jackson Moore's theme when we talked about the failure of pay restraint under previous governments.
URTU opposed such policies because governments have been unwilling to freeze prices.
The Union believes that if employers put their house in order and contented themselves with modest profits, there would be fewer problems for union general secretaries.
"Our members tell us about the price of fuel and food; it's our job to maintain standards of living for our people. Lorry drivers are not far up the pay league, although they showed muscle a year ago in the strike."
If a rising cost of living is the sole cause of claims for more pay — and you could argue that annual pay claims have become a habit, and they would still persist if prices were frozen — employers, from the CBI downwards, convince me that frozen prices inhibit investment. URTU members no doubt prefer to drive modern vehicles financed, hopefully from profits.
Although I gather there is now no particular reason why URTU does not recruit in Scotland, the principal stamping ground of the union is England. When the Scottish Commei cial Motormen's Union, unde Alex Kitson, existed as an incla pendent entity (before th merger with TGWU), there wa a formal agreement that U would not try to encroach on th preserves of another smal union.
Organisation in Englani focuses on 19 area officers, wh: mostly work from home. Grea stress is laid on the speed o response possible with a corn pact, specialist, road haulage oriented trade union. The are officers have answerphones am members can shout if they hav, problems.
Although the bulk of mem bership comprises lorry driver and driver-salesmen, URTU' recruitment leaflet refers ti shop, clerical, supervisory warehousing, maintenance am production workers as potentia (or actual) members.
There is even a hint that till self-employed could benefi from membership. The soopi for expansion may be widi although it would not be easy, ir my view, to erect a broad-base( membership from the limite< interest group of lorry and var drivers that provides URTU': bedrock.
Jackson Moore, as thos( with whom he has debate( would confirm, has a ready tun of phrase and he sticks to hi: themes with the tenacity of z bulldog. More than once I haw heard him, on public platforms make bitter attacks on the rai lobby.
He thinks there are too man) rail enthusiasts in the EEC ma( transport sector of the secre tariat. Of another EEC institu tion, the Economic and Socia Committee, he is equally sca thing: "The committee comes tc no joint conclusions of an} useful effect unless it is wha they — as opposed to URTU — want!"
On matters that would heir road transport, such as bette: road systems, Jackson Moore h
happy to beat the same drum as the British Road Federation. He sees the road system as contributing to a better standard of living and far from accepting the need for present cheeseparing would welcome double-deck motorways, as in the United States.
URTU's views on the introduction of tachographs will be known after the triennial conference has considered the issue in April. Jackson insists that if all drivers had to use tachographs immediately there would be "'a load of trouble."
He adds, consolingly, "by 1982 it may be OK." But then he reminds you that his members will say: "'How much will they pay?"
Visiting Europe frequently, Jackson said that a recent report to the EEC on how lorry drivers' hours and the tacho issue were developing, had been rejected by the official responsible.
The Government reports were simply not believed, and were sent back for a re-think.
The Moore view is that the French Government and hauliers do not recognise the tachograph; the Belgians use tachos only outside their frontiers; and it is not taken seriously in Italy. In Holland, he says, the Government tell hauliers to work nine hours and forget about eight.
I was a bit surprised to know the strength of URTU in the field of driver-salesmen, over 12,000, notably in bread and
confectionery. I surmise that the union must have considerable expertise in a difficult area — and one that is somewhat vulnerable to possible changes in the economics of "factory" breadmaking with delivery over a wide area.
Driver-salesmen, I surmise, are not judged by employers in quite the same way as lorry drivers. I've heard of good salesmen who are tolerated although they are poor drivers. The sales skill is at a premium. If I've offended any excellent drivers in this specialist area apologise!
I have speculated more than once in print as to the likelihood of URTU merging its entity with the TGWU. Jackson Moore reminded me of this impudent solecism when we talked: general secretaries have a long memory!
There have been discussions in years past but no one hit on the right formula. I doubt if the subject will be taken seriously again during Jackson's term of office — he has seven years to go to retirement.
But in the goldfish bowl of road haulage, and in wider trade union circles, general secretaries of different unions obviously meet frequently, often on delegations to the Ministry of Transport or in Brussels and further afield.
Jackson Moore says he gets on very Well with Moss Evans, as he did with Frank Cousins. With the man in-between, Jack Jones, there was "a nonexistent relationship." He speaks highly of his relations with Alex Kitson and Harry Urwin, two of the top brass of the TGWU.
Of the proposed reconstitution of the National Freight Corporation, Jackson Moore said he and his TGWU colleagues made it clear to Transport Minister Norman Fowler that any attempt to "chop up" the NFC constituent companies would be opposed.
He wondered who would want to buy the NFC, anyway. No doubt when the time comes it will be appropriate for potential investors to recall the tag –caveat emptor'' .— let the buyer beware.
How does a small trade union set about expansion? URTU grows, like other unions, by recommendations of existing members, even, dare I say it, by employers. On that, Jackson exploded: "No employers like us" he insisted.
Clearly, it does a trade union no good if it gets a reputation for being a soft touch, and I have not the slightest evidence that employers regard it in this way.
URTU's job is to sell the labour of its members for the best possible price and if, in the road haulage market, it sometimes seems overshadowed by its big brother, there is no reason to imagine that URTU does not contribute helpfully to the resolution of problems.
A labour of love for some URTU back room staff is the annual publication Your Cafe Accommodation Handbook. Compiled with the assistance of members, the booklet's title sells the publication short.
It contains — alas in very small print — a long screed from the Transport Department on lorry drivers' hours and rest periods, national, international and AETR, British Domestic rules and so on.
There are helpful sections on road traffic offences — not forgetting a run down on "Tottingup" — the TIR regulations, resumes of the three principal Training Boards affecting the membership, and diary-type information.
URTU issue special Green Cards to members driving vehicles abroad. The union is affiliated to the International Transport Federation whose offices abroad furnish advice or assistance to members needing it.
No article about URTU would be complete without referencr to its lively tabloid Wheels.
The recent Christma number recounts the old chest nut about the Road Fund, raider by Winston Churchill, wher Chancellor of the Exchequer, ii 1926 and finally sunk withou trace in 1955.
Another casualty reported ii the journal is the Metricatiol Board. URTU warns of thy effects of one of its last fling affecting the price per litre c petrol.
Positive campaigns mountel by URTU include the advocac of Citizen Band radio to hell with road conditions advice and especially, afford some protec tion to drivers subjected to hi-jack attempt.
On the international front URTU give prominence to report, via the ITF, about th lack of anything like th HAZCHEM scheme, wit stringent back-up training, fc tanker operations in Denmarl, although there are good mark for what has been done in We Germany.
Jackson Moore was not abl to say how many URTU driver are employed on Continenti operations. No doubt trade unions have as much difficult as some trade associations i answering the queries of jou nalists.
But serious leg-pulling asick URTU is fulfilling a useful role i industrial relations. Jackso Moore assures me that hi Union would be quite willing t sit down with the TGWU in pa negotiations in the Manchestt area.
Elsewhere personalities, past history, do not appear I prevent reasonably friendl relationships with other track unions.
And this is surely right. Thei are enough troubles in labot relations without unreasonab hostility between the brothers.
Of one thing I am sure. Jacl son Moore, who started wit URTU in 1947 (when he carr in to sort out a financi; muddle), is a worthy represei tative of full-time trade unic officers.
Some of his approaches like URTU's recruitmer caravan which preaches if "gospel" at transport cafés are novel.
A relatively small union mu constantly strive to be differei and I feel sure a dubious no political status is an insignificai element in the impact URT makes on road haulage.