T&G slams United Carriers for U-turn
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by Sally Nash • Drivers at United Carriers have "lost their jobs needlessly" over the last few months, according to the Transport & General Workers Union, which accuses the company of failing to come up with a proper strategy for its move from three-day to next-day deliveries.
T&G regional officer Maurice Britton made his comments after learning that United Carriers was consulting with the union about dropping recently introduced changes to terms, conditions and shift patterns which cost up to 70 drivers and other staff their jobs.
Britton has been told that United Carriers now plans to revert to the original shift patterns in a move that could again affect between 300 and 400 staff. "I am very angry about it," he says. "All those people lost their jobs needlessly because the company did not have a proper plan to go to next-day delivery. The directors should be looking at their own positions."
"It is a tremendous U-turn," says one industry source. "They are reverting to where they were before."
The move comes just two months after Russell Hodgson became the new managing director of United Caniers. The company is also warning of 54 further redundancies if two hubs at Wellingborough close. It issued a profits warning after losing a major contract with computer firm Compaq last year.
LI The T&G is consulting members at Harrogate-based CPL British Fuels after the company imposed a 3.4% pay rise without consulting the union. "This is industrial relations of the Dark Ages," says T&G transport secretary Ron Webb.