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Christmas dispute looms as Tradeteam ignores T860
Page 6
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CM EXCLUSIVE
• by Melanie Hammond and Pete Swingler A huge row is brewing at Tradeteam, part of transport gent Exel, this week, with 200 drivers represented by the Transport & General Workers Union furious that the company is ignoring the union's request for pay and safety talks and has still not let their T&G officer onto the site.
As CommercialMotorwent to press, the drivers based at the firm's Hams Hall depot and satellite sites in Burton, Wolverhampton and Stoke-on-Trent were about to be balloted. They were deciding whether to take industrial action—a move which could hit beer supplies to hundreds of pubs and clubs in the Midlands in the run-up to Christmas.
The company has the contract to deliver Bass beers around the Midlands in a 24-hour operation which involves around 350 drivers.
Discontent has been simmering for months over health and safety and union recognition issues but things have come to a head over claims that Tradeteam is not responding to the T&G's moves to set up pay talks.
T&G regional officer Phil Barley told CR "I've been black-balled from the site for the last two years. They will meet us off-site to discuss grievance and dis cipline matters because they are required to by law, they won't acknowledge our letters to se annual wage negotiations."
Tradeteam's human resources dire( Victor Mcgeer, is a former T&G national cer for the commercial transport sectic the union who may have faced similar ISE in the past. Barley says he cannot uni stand why the company is still failiN respond.
Barley claims that he has also been ing to discuss health and safety issues the firm with drivers concerned over loading of drays. "There have been sa issues with bottles, tins, caskets and like," he says.
As well as calling the ballot, which authorised by the union's general secret Bill Morris, Barley says he has reportec concerns over health and safety to envii mental health officers.
CM tried repeatedly to speak Tradeteam but nobody was available comment. The result of the ballot expected at the end of this month.