Western hauliers threaten quarry ban
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HAULIERS in the West Country are threatening a ban on services to selected quarries in the area in a dispute over a new rate schedule. The Western Roadstone Centre—a hauliers' co-operative group— applied for a new schedule based on the use of 24-ton sixwheelers. The intention was to levy a surcharge when 16-ton four-wheeler tippers were specified.
Operating costs were agreed between the centre and the Western Quarry Tipper Operators Joint Negotiating Committee in December when it was accepted that large increases were necessary. When the centre indicated that its new schedule would start on April 1 the quarry owners said that they would need time to consider the question.
Mr J. F. Cox, the Road Haulage Association's western area secretary, told CM that, despite a number of meetings no solution to the dispute had yet been found. "We are still extremely dissatisfied," he said. The Centre had warned the owners that, unless they adopted a more reasonable attitude, hauliers would have to consider withdrawing services from selected quarries, on certain dates. Mr Cox said, however, that he was sure the new schedules would be introduced on June 1.
As a temporary measure, the owners had offered to keep the 10-tonne minimum payments but would increase all mileage payments by 5p per tonne from April 28. Unpaid waiting time would be reduced from two hours to one hour.