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148 
Sunday becomes a weekday
Page 7
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• Hundreds of drivers may be forced to work at weekends for no extra pay as many small transport companies are coming under pressure to cut costs following the introduction of Sunday trading.
David Higginbottom, general secretary of the United Road Transport Union (URTU) says because many firms have found opening on Sundays uneconomic there is heavy pressure on costs which is being passed on to hauliers.
Workers at Consett-based Elddis Transport, whose major contract is for snack company Phileas Fogg, Derwent Valley Food Group, claim it has been
told to reduce its weekend costs by 20% and has set about trying to introduce a working week running from Wednesday to Sunday—at the same rate of pay.
Elddis' managing director, Geoff Cook, denies Derwent is putting pressure on him, but admits: "There are no Saturdays and Sundays any more." Higginbottom says the true cost of such a decision will be the deterioration in workers' lives.
Shop workers union USDAW says it predicted the erosion of workers' rights, hut is still expecting the full effects of the law change to hit workers.