Road Services (Caledonian) stand firm
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By a Special Correspondent ONE of the largest hauliers in the Tayforth Group, Road Services (Caledonian) Ltd., is refusing to pay a claim for what has become known as the "Millichamp differential" from some of the drivers at the Birmingham depot
The firm's decision has resulted in a strike which is now in its fifth week. It originally involved seven drivers and a foreman, but since then the foreman has left the union, joined the staff and is working; three have left the firm and four are still on strike.
From the company's Dumfries headquarters, general manager Mr. A. Callander told me: "We decided not to agree to this claim because we are a national concern and do not operate only from Birmingham.
"We believe it would be against the national interest. We have on one hand the Government trying to operate a prices and incomes policy, and on the other a union official at Birmingham seemingly doing his best to upset it."
Mr. Callander said the men's claim was arbitrary. They were not prepared to sit around the table and talk about it. The stand by Caledonian is particularly significant because the Government-owned Transport Holding Company has a controlling interest in Tayforth. However, I understand that no orders came from Whitehall to refuse the claim and that the decision was made purely by the Tayforth directors.