In Your Opinion
Page 75
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' Scrap the Wages Order' THE APPARENT differences of opinion between W. A. G. Sayers and lorry driver L. Phipps given space in your journal over the past weeks are of paramount importance to both employers and employees.
Disregarding the "slanging" it is obvious that they are in agreement on the main issue, that of the basic wage.
In view of the problem arising, I feel most strongly that a reappraisal of the system of payments to drivers, as confined within the Road Haulage Wages Order, is necessary. The structure is outdated and is alien to the modern progressive world of industrial relations and, indeed, is without realism.
The basic rates at present operating are stupid and until both sides of the Road Haulage Wages Council are prepared to apply a modern approach and some rethinking, to adjust the system of basic rates and overtime payments, we all must expect problems, such as those in the Birmingham area, to arise periodically.
All reputable operators have no option than to adhere to the Wages Order as constituted, because a minor deviation from the principles involved would result in the creation of an ugly precedence and, although both sides of the industry are inclined to shield behind the terms of reference of the Order, it does not in anyway satisfy the industry as a whole.
Without bias, I feel that Mr. Sayers is right, inasmuch that the basic rate requires to be raised, to enable a driver to receive, as a minimum, a wage comparable to the present-day cost of living; but—and I must emphasize this point----the overtime payments to be scaled down accordingly. I only hope that Mr. Phipps will appreciate the reasoning in this, because it is necessary for a two-way effort to arrive at the fair solution.
No doubt Mr. Phipps is a very experienced and competent driver, but I am sure even he will agree that there are drivers and drivers, and it must surely have an effect on him when he notices daily the truth in what has been said by Mr. Sayers with regard to inefficiency; but let me say at once that there are many employers who cannot escape some of this responsibilit However, be that as it may, we come back to the primal problem of the basic rate. The opportunity is available to tl Road Haulage Association to set the wheels in motion and th will require the knowledge of operators, primarily engaged long-distance haulage, with years of practical experience labour control, if there is to be any measure of success. As have always maintained, you cannot learn the business haulage "out of a book" because it requires practice to apprecia the other fellow's point of view. Being hard-headed will ni bring forth harmony and I, for one, regret that both Mr. Saye and Mr. Phipps, who are no doubt very sincere people, ha) given vent to their feelings, rather than press their respectilf representatives on the Road Haulage Wages Council to sera the archaic Wages Order and work towards the implement lion of a new, clean, fresh Order worthy of a modern societ3
To avoid any unnecessary correspondence I might add fluI wrote strongly along these lines to the Road Haulage Associz lion on November 16, 1965.
L. E. EAST, Managing Directoi Cyprien-Fox (Transport) Limited Can Anyone Help?
ON FRIDAY, August 19, at 8.05 p.m., I was driving my lorr south along Ml. About two miles south of the Watford Gap I sat a 1949-50 Maudslay Mentor 8-wheeler travelling north. Th vehicle, which was on trade-plates, was painted pale yellow wit red wings and had a Maudslay shield trade mark on the driver' door. It was fitted with a flat body and was unladen at the time.
I am most anxious to trace this vehicle and its owner as I am commercial vehicle enthusiast and wish to acquire such a example for preservation. If anyone can supply me with mor information on this vehicle then I would be very grateful indeec P. J. DAVIES, Luton, Beds