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URTU requests free HGV medicals
Page 7
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THE UNITED ROAD Transport Union (URTU) is to request TUC support for its campaign to have compulsory HGV drivers' medicals paid for by the state.
URTU director-general Bob Monks says the union will be putting forward a motion during the transport debate at the TUC congress, which kicks off on 13 September.
Monks explains that URTU has followed through on its pledge to speak for drivers when it decided to go back into the umbrella body of the TUC last year.
"In all the motions that are being put forward by transportassociated unions like ASLEF, the rail union RMT or the GMB and USDAW, not one has anything to do with commercial vehicle drivers.he adds. "I feel we have been totally vindicated. If we weren't at the TUC congress there would be nothing for drivers at all."
URTU decided to reaffiliate to the TUC in November 2003 after severing connections because of a row over Ford drivers at Dagenham.
The long-running dispute started over alleged racism when seven black Ford workers claimed they were kept out of better paid driving jobs. Drivers at the Dagenham plant, unhappy about the way the situation was handled, dissolved their T&G branch and transferred to the URTU at the end of January 1997.
TheT&G later appealed against URTU's actions and the TUC ruled that it should hand back its members to the T&G. URTU resigned from the TUC rather than accept this ruling.
• URTU is hi talks with NYK Logistics at Hams Hall, Birmingham, about union recognition.