Mobil's deal
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MOBIL's 480 drivers and distribution workers voted by two to one this week to accept a selffinancing productivity deal which cuts their overall working week by two and a half hours, and gives top weight drivers an extra £13.45 a week.
The Transport and General Workers Union has recommended acceptance of the deal, which improves Mobil's work standards by between 11.5 and 13 per cent, and will eliminate 20 to 25 jobs by voluntary redundancy.
The present top weight basic rate at Mobil is £125.87 with a maximum productivity supplement of £16. The changes will give them a maximum payment of £29.45 and a 37.5 hour working week.
Meanwhile, the TGWU has started its round of negotiations with Shell, BP and Texaco on their annual wage talks, with meetings scheduled with all three companies this week. Esso has already settled its 1982/83 wages.
officer Bob Robinson told CM that further duscussions on Liverpool wages would not take place until after Christmas.
TGWU delegates are to meet in Salford tomorrow (Sunday) to discuss the North Western employers' offer of a £2.50 top weight increase (£2 for drivers under 21) to £88.50, and 25p subsistence to £10.50.
The United Road Transport Union is awaiting the result of a postal ballot on the same offer, and will know the results on Monday. It meets the Road Haulage Association again on Wednesday next week.
In the West Midlands, a £2 offer has been made, which would give an £88 top rate, with subsistence rising by 25p to £10.50. Employers have also offered to review sickness arrangements in the light of statutory obligations. The TGWU is making no recommendation to its members.
North Humberside drivers were being advised to reject a £2 offer there, which would increase basic top rate to £88`, and subsistence by 25p to £10.25.
A £2 increase in top weight has been offered in Leeds and Bradford, where the rate would rise to £87.
The immediate threat of industrial action has been lifted in Metropolitan and South-east England, where shop stewards voted last weekend to seek powers to recall the TGWU delegates conference on January 16, if the employers have not made an offer by then.
Regional officer John Moore told CM that an official dispute would follow if no offer is made, and that this would affect all 15,000 hire or reward drivers in the region.
No action has yet been taken on Tyneside drivers' request for a recalled national conference of hire or reward delegates, but this will probably be considered when the commercial group's finance and general purposes committee meets again after Christmas.