Angry hauliers gear up for
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a summer of discontent
• by Melanie Hammond Blockades and demonstrations across the UK and the Continent are brewing again this week as hauliers get close to boiling point over mounting fuel costs and a lack of concessions by the government over penalties for carrying stowaways.
The Road Haulage Association, the United Road Transport Union, the Hauliers and Farmers Alliance and an independent haulier have all announced plans for protests. They include: • 10 July—RHA "friendly" day of action, Park Lane, London. A delegation is to hand in documents and letters at Number 10, Downing Street.
• 25 September—week-long protest by the HFA in the form of a rolling convoy through major UK cities, starting in Glasgow and ending in London.
• Blockades of the main ports serving the UK organised by URTU (see box below).
• Blockades of ports in Hull, Liverpool and Dover organised by Wakefield-based DTS Haulage.
The RHA's U-turn will surprise many. Just weeks ago RHA chiefs asked the HFA to wait for the outcome of the transport select committee's inquiry.
But RHA national chairman John Bridge says: 'We are not making any headway. At the last meeting of the competitiveness working group the Treasury made it quite clear that they don't think we have proved our Case. We have to take action now."
The RHA is also seeking to capitalise on the recent television and newspaper coverage of rising fuel costs and the success of protests abroad (see box left).
But Frank Stears of Trans-Action says: "I've told the RHA that unless they can get a group of 40 or 50 big hauliers to pledge their support, we won't help them. If they turn out then the small hauliers will automatically follow—otherwise its pointless."
HFA members have not decided whether to support the RHA's day of action. HFA chairman Len Johnson says: "Our plans for September have been corn* together well but the RHA has really thrown a spanner in the works. They expect us to fall into line with them, but if they waited to join us in September, we could all make more impact."