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Test station go-slow spreads
Page 54
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• The go-slow by engineers at two hgv test stations at Brinnington, near Stockport, Cheshire and Heywood, in Lancs, spread this week to stations at Liverpool, Wallasey and Kirkham (CM November 10). Only about a third of the normal daily intake of vehicles for test certificates are being dealt with, and it is estimated that the certificates of exemption for some 500 lorries have already been issued by the DoE at Swansea.
The engineers are calling for the adoption of a productivity bonus scheme. They said their basic weekly rate was only £22, compared with average wages of £32 in industry. Their claim for an increase on the basic rate went to arbitration before the present freeze was announced and will now automatically be suspended until it is over.
At the Stockport test station 100 vehicles a week are being turned away. Mr B. Regan, Stockport AEUW secretary, said that local hauliers who had had their vehicles kept waiting as long as three hours were submitting bills to the DoE of up to £5 an hour for loss of their vehicles. Mr Regan told CM that booking time had gone by the board and if negotiations were not started for a productivity scheme at an early date many more hundreds of hgv vehicles would be on the road in the area without test certificates.
Engineers at hgv test stations in the Yorkshire area held a special meeting on Sunday and decided to follow the lead of AUEW members in Lancashire and Cheshire. A spokesman for the DoE in London confirmed this week that letters were being receiVed from hauliers in the North-west claiming compensation for their vehicles which had been kept waiting at test stations after being given booked times. The claims were being looked into by the Department although there was no parallel for such a type of reimbursement.
Mr A. R. Bothan, a director of San Longson Ltd, of Chapel-en-le-Frith, Derbyshire, and Hansons of Wakefield, which operate some 100 vehicles, mostly tippers and bulk tankers, said that two of the firm's vehicles which had been sent to the Stockport centre for test certificates and upgrading to 26 tons had been turned away; exemption certificates had been obtained but the upgrading was not allowed.
The go-slow would cause considerable inconvenience if it continued, for the company had 10 more vehicles to send for upgrading this month and a further 14 in December. Mr Bothan said that relations with the test stations had always been excellent and officials were doing everything possible to alleviate the difficulties. He told CM: "We have no plans to send any bills to the DoE for loss of time and business so far — it is just one of those unfortunate things."