Unions walk out of Wages Council again
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• For the second time in three months the trade union negotiators walked out of a meeting of the Road Haulage Wages Council on Monday, when it became clear that they could expect no progress on their claim for minimum basic rate increases of up to £7.85 a week.
This left a quorum of employers and independent members who adopted the employers' offer of a weekly basic increase of £2.40. This, if ratified, will raise drivers' minimum weekly rates from £18 to £20.40; at the top end, the highest basic rates for abnormal-load vehicles will be £28.85.
The first union walk-out was in September when the employers offered to meet the original claim for £2 a week increase but refused to improve on that offer when the claim was stepped up.
There is no question of an early settlement of the pay issue, writes our industrial correspondent. Several weeks have to be allowed for the objections procedure, and a period of six weeks normally occurs after the Secretary of State for Employment has ratified an award.
No back-dating of the award is possible while the pay freeze continues.