Meat haulier reopens
Page 17
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WILSON DUKE Ltd, refrigerated haulier, of Canal Street, Bootle, which closed down during the nine weeks' strike Of meat transport drivers (CM last week) reopened last week, but with a reduced fleet of vehicles.
The decision to restart was taken after four hours of talks with representatives of the Transport and General Workers' Union and the shop stewards.
The firm's management gave certain terms and conditions on which they were prepared to start up again and these were accepted by the men.
Mr Brian Hill, managing director, said that part of the agreement was a rationaliza tion of the fleet, which meant a reduction in the number of vehicles from 38 to 28 and in the number of drivers and ancillary staff from 50 to 40.
The nine weeks' strike by 220 meat haulage drivers was called off when the men accepted the decision of an arbitration court and agreed to resume work on July 15.
Fresh problems loomed up when the 50 Wilson Duke men with no jobs to return to retained the support of cold store porters and dockers who refused to deliver meat.
The result was that the other five major Merseyside meat transport firms could not operate normally and had work for only about one-fifth of their vehicles.
This ban on the delivery of meat from cold stores and the docks was called off when agreement was reached for the reopening of Wilson Duke.
The drivers' strike was in support of demands for a guaranteed week of 55 hours, guaranteed holiday pay, an increase in overnight subsistence allowances, and a sick pay scheme. They rejected an offer of a guaranteed week of 50 hours, an increase of 50p to £3.50 in the subsistence allowance, and agreement of negotiation of a sick pay scheme when the annual agreement was revised in the autumn. Both sides in the dispute referred the matter to the conciliation office of the Department of Employ ment and agreed to accept the arbitration court decision.
The findings provided for a guaranteed week of 50 hours, to come into effect from the first pay week after August 1, this guaranteed week to apply to holiday pay. Subsistence allowances were to be increased to £3.75 per night after August 1. On the question of sick pay, the decision stated that a scheme should be negotiated in line with the Smithfield meat carriers agreement and should be implemented before • the end of 1974. This agreement provides for half the basic rate of pay when men are off sick.