• I have read recent issues of Commercial Motor and
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have been most interested in the articles about Mike Pickering. However, I have been very surprised at his comments.
Having been present at the meeting organised by Owner Operators UK, I can not understand where Mr Pickering gets his ideas from. The meeting was organised to bring together operators with a common cause of improving the overall conditions in the industry; to discuss ways in which we can all unite together in order to "get things done". The basis of this unity has already been set up at Owner Operators and by offering free associate membership it was hoped that more operators would get involved so that more could be achieved.
Mr Pickering appeared to be alone at the meeting in wanting to involve strikes and block ades in the campaign, which as any conscientious operator knows does not achieve anything in the long run except animosity, added to which most small operators cannot afford such action. As no one seemed to agree with Mr Pickering at the meeting, I was surprised to read that Owner Operators was supposedly backing his campaign. That was not my impression.
GH Deakin Stoke-on-Trent, Staffs.
Reply from Irene Vaughan. Her son Robin is a founder member of Owner Operators UK and runs Robin Transport of Thetford, Norfolk, 0 On behalf of my son Robin, I was present at the meeting in Rugby organised by Owner Operators UK. My reason for being there was primarily to show support for the concept of UNIT 91. At the same time I wanted to convey the frustra tion that Robin and many others feel at the indifference that our Government displays to the problems of the haulage industry.
Hauliers want to be able in 1992 to compete on equal terms with other members of the EC. This cannot be done while there is no harmonisation of levels of VED.
Danish hauliers are given a rebate of tax for any periods spent outside their country. No such concession is made to British hauliers who pay the highest level of VED in Europe. While such inequalities exist there is unfair competition and British jobs and businesses will be lost.
Most owner-operators are aware that a blockade could be counter-productive, and this was the concensus of those present at the meeting.
Hauliers should unite to make their voices heard by the decision makers.
• With regard to the Budgens article in the 7-13 March edition of Commercial Motor, I am a little disappointed that the article leans towards a "them and us" relationship between Budgens and TNT.
Although the association did not work, I would like to point out that both organisations parted company on the best of terms and have professional respect for one another's operation.
John Harvey Budgens Stores, Wellingborough, Northants. DIVISIONAL OFFICERS The East Midlands division of the Freight Transport Association has elected its officers for 1991/92.
Derek Fisher, distribution director of Northampton-based Robert Horne Group is chairman; Mike Ward, general manager of Wellingboroughbased CP Transport is senior vice-chairman; Trevor Higgs, operations director of Northampton-based Serco Contrading and Dick Hayward, distribution manager of Croftbased ECC Quarries are vicechairmen. Wilf Bartleet, transport manager of Kirby Muxloe-based Desford Tubes and Derek Fisher of the Robert Horne Group have been elected national council representatives.
Peter Cremers has been appointed head of the service and sales engineering department of Daf Bus UK. He joined Daf in 1986 as product improvement engineer for buses and since the establishment of Daf Bus RV has been head of the technical service department.
• TCT TRUCK PANELS FLEXER
Keith Flexer has been appointed general manager of TCT Truck Panels, the Potteries-based truck body panel maker which was rescued from the receiver last September.
He joined the production team of Truck Panels in 1985 and was works. manager from 1987 until that firm's demise.
Dennis Brindley has filled the newly created post of service director at the Willenhall depot of Midlands-based truck dealer, Greenhous Leyland Daf.
He has worked at the firm for more than eight years, most recently as service manager at Willenhall.
• UNITED PARCEL SERVICE BROUGHAM United Parcel Service has taken on Peter Brougham as UK operations manager, parcels.
He has more than 10 years' experience in the industry and previously worked for two years as systems director of DHI, Aviation in Brussels.