New union split over policy statement
Page 6
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A NEW SPLIT in the strife-torn Birmingham branch of the Transport and General Workers Union has emerged following statements from outgoing drivers' leader Alan Law that the union has dropped its opposition to the introduction of the tachograph.
The statement from Mr Law came on the eve of his retirement from the union, but it was immediately countered by TGWU Midland regional secretary Brian Mathers who said that union opposition to the instrument is "still 100 per cent". And Mr Mathers has been backed by TGWU general secretary Moss Evans, who declared the union's position was still one of straightforward opposition to the tacho.
Mr Law's statement is seen as the latest in a long line of splits between Birmingham area TGWU members, who are reported to have picketed union offices in the city several times in the past year.
The situation came to a head last year when the branch was split into four by the union and Mr Mathers took over as a regional secretary — a post formerly held by Mr Law, along with the job of commercial officer.
Mr Law resigned from the regional secretary's post after alleged voting irregularities. He is reported to have said that the TGWU had dropped its opposition to the tacho because of the European Court decision that Britain was in breach of its obligations.
The only body within the TGWU that could change the union's policy on tachos is the national commercial transport committee. One delegate has stated that the policy of opposition to the tacho still stands.
"We will continue in total opposition to the introduction of the 'spy in the cab'," he said.
Mr Law's statement that the union has dropped its opposition is the latest stage in a clear softening of his line on the instrument which began last year when he repeated several times that the union had "passed out of the stage of using emotive language and calling it the 'spy in the cab'."
• See Editorial, page 2