RHA changes stance on hours punishment
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By Chris Tindall
THE ROAD Haulage Association (RHA) has modified its stance over mandatory prison sentences for those flouting drivers’ hours laws after the United Road Transport Union (URTU) stepped into the debate and opposed the idea.
Earlier this month the trade association called on the government to take tougher action against drivers falsifying driving records because “ineffective enforcement” is increasing the temptation for them to break the law.
But URTU says drivers are increasingly being “bullied and harassed by unscrupulous employers into exceeding their hours in order to complete a journey on their employer’s’ behalf” .
An URTU spokesman says: “Drivers are often faced with a threat of losing their job for not completing a delivery in an unworkable time scale.
“Courts should therefore always examine the reason why drivers’ records were allegedly falsified before deciding on a level of punishment, rather than implementing mandatory custodial sentencing.” RHA chief executive Geoff Dunning says he accepts the union’s argument. “If someone is forcing [an employee] to behave in that way then they should be subject to the same sanctions.” Dunning says: “We are con cerned that there seems to be an increasing number of examples of this sort of thing happening, and we need to ensure it’s dealt with firmly.”