Union seeks pay rise VOC's 10th 'to avert dock strike'
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birthday • As part of a "massive effort" in the Transport and General Workers' Union to avert a national docks strike — threatened to commence next week the union's executive council last weekend approved a move by its road haulage and docks sections to mount a joint campaign to improve "by all lawful means" pay and conditions of road haulage workers. A special effort will be made to raise the standards of 'those firms who are undermining the road transport industry".
The council recommended that packing and unpacking of containers, except those going directly to and from manufacturers, should be undertaken by dock workers "in view of the drastic loss of employment in the ports".
The general executive council of the union approved a joint declaration by the road haulage and docks national committees which referred to the natural anxieties of both groups to safeguard employment. Particular stress was laid in the joint declaration to the problems facing membership in the port transport induttry through the development of containers, "aggravated and exploited by employers deliberatel■., moving work away from the ports to be performed under inferior rates and conditions of employment".
Packing containers The committee held that the responsibility for packing and unpacking containers rested squarely upon port employers and the right of 'port workers to carry out their traditional work was reaffirmed. Union members were urged to insist upon supporting this principle with their own employers through the established constitutional methods. It was felt that adherence to this principle would not diminish the employment of lorry drivers and other road haulage workers in view of the ihereased use of transport vehicles which would be involved through the initial carriage of goods by traditional methods. • The Vehicle Observer Corps is 10 years old this month and to mark the event the RHA held a meeting for members of the Corps and the Press at New Scotland Yard this week. Attending the meeting were Mr J. H. Waddell, Home Office deputy UnderSecretary, Mr J. Starritt, Assistant Commissioner, New Scotland Yard, and Mr J. T. Brown, chairman of the RHA's Vehicle Security Committee.
Mr Brown said that besides celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Corps, an important purpose of the [fleeting was to emphasize the future plans of the security committee. Among these were the completion of the reorganization of the Metropolitan VOCs, to enlist the aid of more transport workers and to organize all VOC groups on the lines of those operating in Essex and Suffolk where meetings were regularly held to discuss transport subjects in addition to the main one of vehicle security. \