Hauliers lose CMB jobs
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by Karen Miles • in an apparent move to cut costs and simplify its distribution arrangements, Carnaud Metal Box is axing small hauliers in a switch to larger transport companies.
The move has angered the hauliers who carry goods out of CMB's factories at Hull, Aintree near Liverpool and Palmers Green in London—BRS takes over the work next month.
At the same time Carlislebased haulier Eddie Stobart takes over the distribution from CMB's Mansfield site. BRS is believed to operate out of Wisbech, Worcester, Speke and West Houghton for CMB: Stobart handles CMB work out of Leicester and two Carlisle sites.
Hauliers currently working from Hull, Aintree and Pahners Green are bitter, saying they were not asked to re-tender for the work and have had to pester CMB to even admit the change. They say the move to BRS will cut CMB's distribution costs by 7.5%—about £25,000 a year. CMB declines to comment.
Among the casualties are South Wales-based David Thomas and Son and WH Irvin from Longtown, near Carlisle.
Thomas and Son is closing its Hull depot, with the loss of seven jobs, and its clearing office for CMB at Pahners Green. Irvin says drivers' jobs are threatened.
Thomas and Son's Hull transport manager George Christian says: "We're very unhappy. We had achieved a 98.9% success record for delivery times and to achieve that we pulled out all the stops. We were working cheaply enough so that most weeks we were just breaking even—if we had a breakdown it would wipe the profit out.
"I don't know how the others are going to do it," he adds, "they're going to need a magic wand."