ilium in North but war in Midlands
Page 5
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
TRUCE, if not lasting peace, looks likely in the protracted battle er wages for North of England lorry drivers, but talks in the West dlands have broken down completely, and both sides say they ve "gone back to the jungle". ALAN MILLAR reports.
n the North, Road Haulage sociation members in Tynele, Hexham, and Sunderland ve offered drivers a £3 in3ase in basic pay, taking the 3 rate to £80 for 40 hours, and additional 50p subsistence, cing that to £9. The rise would ce effect on March 1, two 3nths after the anniversary te.
The West Cumberland area s already agreed a £3 plus 50p Neese from January 1.
Transport and General orkers Union organiser Geoff igleston told CMthat his mem!rs are prepared to accept the fer, but will not accept it as a -month agreement.
He said he would inform the -IA that the Union will ask the ivisory, Conciliation and Artration Service to help estabh a Joint Industrial Council for e area, and, if that fails, apoach individual hauliers to tablish assenting hauliers' oups.
Mr Eggleston added that a eeting, at which national orgaser Gary Oram will be present, ill discuss "ways and means" achieving an £83 settlement in le with the sought-after Scotth goal. He hinted that the nion would like this to be paid 3 m June 1.
Both sides represented on the 'est Midlands JIC registered eir failure to agree a 1981 ittlement last week, despite nployers' offer to pay a £50 flat ite extra to compensate for the ?lay in increasing the basic Ite, and the TGWU's offer to -op its claim by £1.15.
The employers insisted they could go no higher than the £81 basic rate agreed in London and the National Freight Company, but offered to pay a £50 lump sum if drivers were prepared for the new agreement to run from February 1 to December 31.
The Union side dropped its £83.15 claim to £83, in line with Scotland, and offered to drop the claim for a £1 West Midland supplement altogether, but was not prepared to go any farther. Both sides already agreed a 50p increase in subsistence (to £9.50) and a pro rata increase in dark money.
TGWU organiser Jim Hunt told CM that shop stewards are being asked to seek £83 settlements, with £9.50 subsistence from individual employers, and said that a hire and reward action committee has been set up in Birmingham to co-ordinate negotiations there. He added that the union will not act irrationally. "We won't give the small employers the opportunity of closing down, but we are absolutely adamant that £83 is the figure to go for, even if it means an extensive campaign of industrial action against companies which can afford to pay it."
Mr Hunt said there are many firms, some not in the RHA, which can afford to pay £83, but RHA area secretary Bob Ward said he doubted whether many of his 1,600 members (300 of them in Birmingham) would pay more than £81.
RHA North-western secretary Bill Farnorth said this week that "quite a lot" of hauliers in Lancashire and Cheshire have agreed £81 deals with £9.75 subsistence, and added that others have agreed standstills with their employees.
He knew of only two members which had agreed higher settlements, but conceded that there could be others.