'Secret meetings' report discounted
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• A story in The Times Business News on Monday claiming that an influential group of road hauliers in the South of England may propose all-round rate increases of up to 20 per cent prompted numerous Press inquiries of the Road Haulage Association this week.
The report said that a series of "secret meetingshad been held to discuss the employers' attitude to the demand of the Transport and General Workers' Union for a £20 minimum basic wage for drivers in the industry. The 20 or so companies involved were understood to be likely to decide multilaterally to grant immediate pay increases to drivers in accordance with the union demand.
In consequence, rate increases of between 15 and 20 per cent could be expected. Following on similar moves in London and in the Midlands there was the possibility of industry's total haulage bill rising by £70m-presenting Mr Heath's Government with the dilemma of a reference to the Prices and Incomes Board or acceptance of boosted haulage rates with an early affect