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'Chinese puzzle' baffled drivers

22nd July 1977, Page 19
22nd July 1977
Page 19
Page 19, 22nd July 1977 — 'Chinese puzzle' baffled drivers
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

IE new Common Market log iok for lorry drivers was Red a Chinese puzzle in urt this week. It caused such nfusion that men at a hauge firm kept getting their ne sheets wrong.

Instead of writing down -iere they were, hours at the ieel and rest periods, they d to draw graphs on the new rm it was explained.

No mistakes were allowed the sheet which shows mbols for rest, driving, meal eaks and time doing other )rk. Within weeks of the new regulations coming into force, traffic inspectors swooped on a Scarborough haulage firm, which, with six drivers, faced 47 charges of not drawing the graphs properly.

Another 59 summonses, alleging excessive hours of work, were withdrawn by the Yorkshire LA and TEF Freight (Scarborough) and its subsidiary, Speed Removals, admitted 29 offences of not making sure drivers kept proper records. The men pleaded guilty to 18 sum monses.

Michael Paterson, for the LA, said inspectors found a lot of cases where drivers seemed to have worked excessive hours when they looked at the firm's worksheets. But the men told inspectors they were unable to fill in the forms which came into force last November.

Charles Dixon, for the companies and the drivers, said: "Everyone managed well enough without graphs for a long time. All the mistakes were made in the first six weeks, some of them, on the very first day; no grace was given and the prosecutions were retrospective.

Driver David Young said in evidence "I was shown how to do it umpteen times and the boss threatened to finish me, but I was flummoxed."

Another driver, Neil Rowley, said: "The forms are like a Chinese puzzle: I didn't know where to start."

John Gill, owner of the two companies, who started with one lorry seven years ago and now has 14 told the court: "The first week under the new regulations was a disaster. The men made mistakes, but we were not allowed to alter them.

Two sacked

"I had to sack two men because they just could not get the forms right. These are all very hard working, very good workers who have been beaten by a piece of paper."

The magistrate said: "In view of the short time the regulations were in effect, there will be an absolute discharge in each case." The maximum fine for the offence is £200 and the two men dismissed have already been fined £60 for three offences each.

After the hearing, Mr Gill said: "We've got it right now — it only took practice."


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