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Strike ballot oes ahead at BRS

20th May 1993, Page 6
20th May 1993
Page 6
Page 7
Page 6, 20th May 1993 — Strike ballot oes ahead at BRS
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

h■ Amanda Bradbury • "che biggest road transport strike since the 1979 "winter of discontent" looms for 3,500 BRS drivers, fitters and engineers following the company's refusal to increase rates of pay

The Transport & General Workers Union will immediately ballot for an indefinite series of Monday 24-hour stoppages in England and Wales if the profitable NFC subsidiary refuses to make an offer.

Strike action would hit 92 depots nationwide and deliveries to major customers including Shell, Esso, Rover and ICI could be affected.

Drivers' current basic rate ranges from £153£164. Workers will meet management on 26 May.

In Scotland, 550 workers have already voted for industrial action and are to deliver an ultimatum to management at a meeting tomorrow (21 May). However, less than 50% were in favour of stike action, which the company claims is less than one third of Scottish employees.

The TGWU says no formal offer has been made on its sixpoint claim —which includes a provision to bring pay up an average 16to align with English colleagues.

BRS parent company NFC says pay negotiations are still ong_iing and confirms no offer has been made to increase basic pay rates "which are not self-financing through changes to working practices".

There has been no pay increase for 3,000 BRS workers in England and Wales since a 4.9", rise awarded last year and backdated to January 1992.

TGWU's national secretary of road transport John Moore says he expects a "reasonable" rise in line with BRS' profitability "To make the situation even worse, we know that FIRS has offered a 2% and above increase to clerical and administrative staff as part of a personal merit increase." The company says it has previously offi-red merit based pay schemes for drivers but claims they were rejected by the unions.

NFC, forecasted to make up to L100m profit— nearly 10% of sales—this year, decides what increase to award on the profitability of each separate subsidiary but this information is not broken down in published figures.

NFC's staff and families are its largest single shareholder group. BRS Automotive and BRS TanIcfreight increased profits during 1992 but the division saw profits turn down in its contract hire activities.


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