Northern lorrymen threaten stoppage
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by Q. Hyams
• Unless haulage drivers in Bradford reconsider their decision to turn down a £2-a-week increase in basic pay, a strike will begin next Monday at the 60 to 70 member firms in the Bradford and District Hauliers Federation and it is likely that it will spread to other Yorkshire areas such as Leeds, Halifax and Huddersfield which have also had union demands.
It is understood that the TGWU has circulated many haulage companies calling for a rise in the present £11 basic wage to £16. Following such an approach to one Bradford haulier, the Federation said it was acting on behalf of all its members and the claim was sent to the Federation, together with strike notice for November 4 if the demand was not met, The Federation members had a meeting last Friday at which it was decided to offer a 1s per hour increase, which represents a £2 increase on basic pay and is 6d per hour after the 40 hours. This would be the equivalent of £3 1 Os extra in the pay packet of a man driving a 15/18-tonner on a 60-hour week, said Mr. J. Bell, chairman of the Federation.
However, the offer was rejected by a meeting of the men last Sunday and unless some last-minute solution is found, the strike will commence next Monday. The increase demanded represents a 47 per cent increase and even the offer of £2 a week or 17;1 per cent, would raise operating costs by 10 per cent, said Mr. Bell. "We shall just have to stick the strike out," he said.