Owner-driver strike collapses
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from our industrial correspondent
• About 150 Ready-Mix drivers decided at a mass meeting in Northfleet, Kent, on Friday to end their weeki-,Itbrig Pay strike which had slowed down deliveries of concrete to building sites all over the South East.
The men backed down under threat of an ultimatum from the company that their contracts would be withdrawn unless there was an immediate return to work.
They decided to end the strike so that fresh talks could take place on their haulage rates. They are asking for an average increase of 9d per cu.yd. of concrete delivered because recent economic measures have added to the cost of running their vehicles.
The men are all owner-drivers. Some earn £100 a week—but they claim that up to £80 of this can be spent on payments on their lorries.
Mr. Tom Whitten, secretary of the Ready-Mix Owner Drivers Association, said: "It has been like a big snowball. As the months have gone by, more and more items have gone up and now from May, we will be faced with costly Ministry checks on our vehicles."
Last month, he said, he had earned £292 but the costs of running his vehicle had been only £30 less than his earnings, The men want fresh negotiations to begin within a fortnight.