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DFDS tempts drivers with 5% rise
Page 12
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iu More than 600 DFDS drivers are being offered an inflation-busting 5 Wo pay deal to boost recruitment and counter the effects of the Working Time Directive.
The offer will increase basic pay of £275 for a guaranteed 50-hour week by about £14.
But lion Webb, Transport & General Workers Union national road transport secretary, says the deal may not be enough, even though his union is recommending acceptance.
"Early indications in communicating the deal to our members are that there is a requirement for an even better deal," he says. "Extremely high demands are being placed on union leaders: such is now the pace of change in the industry."
Amanda Beier, DFDS head of human resources, says most DFDS drivers work between 60-65 hours a week. "We wanted to do a deal this year which would work towards the Working Time Directive in 2005," she explains. "I think more people in the industry are recognising that we have to reward drivers properly because of the directive and the general lack of drivers."
A report by pay specialist Incomes Data Services (IDS) shows that nearly half of last year's pay settlements in the sector were between 2% and 3.9%. Although 40% of pay deals were worth 5% or more, these were mostly confined to small or medium-sized companies.
Of those hauliers taking part in an IDS survey 60% said they were experiencing problems with driver recruitment and retention.
To counter driver shortages DFDS upgraded its driver training scheme recently, to turn car drivers in to qualified truckers in 13 weeks (CM 1-13 Feb).