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Stress survey: Euro fund plea

19th May 1994, Page 16
19th May 1994
Page 16
Page 16, 19th May 1994 — Stress survey: Euro fund plea
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by Juliet Parish • More and more truck drivers are heading for an early grave because of stress-related illness, a union chief is warning.

Maurice Britton of the Transport & General Workers Union is appealing for funds to research the problem, which he says has become a "creeping paralysis."

He says increased work pressures, including tighter delivery deadlines, the constant threat of redundancy and performance-related pay, are contributing to a higher incidence of nervous problems among drivers.

He wants the European Union to back a study into the extent of sickness related to stress among the UK's haulage community. And he is calling on drivers who have fallen prey to stress to write to him with details of their case.

"Many drivers will try to brush off any indications that they are suffering from stress," says Britton, the TGWU's commercial officer for the northern region.

"But the cold facts remain that most drivers are only lasting in the industry to the age of 50 to 55. I really can't remember the last driver who retired at 65. If I were a 25-yearold driver I'd look very seriously at taking out insurance against loss of licence."

Britton has won support from the Yorkshire West Euro MP, Barry Seal, who plans to meet the European commissioner for transport after the MEP elections this summer, to ask for funds for the nationwide project.

Britton believes he will need around £25,000 for the research. He hopes to use the findings to win better working conditions for drivers, including in-house company pensions.

"I realised something must be done after dealing with a 50-year-old driver who left his company after a nervous breakdown. The driver was awarded medical severance pay last month, but will have a hard job finding alternative employment," says Britton.


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