Griffin beaten in URTU ellen
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• David Higginbottom is the new general-secretary of the United Road Transport Union, having pipped the incumbent Frank Griffin to the post by just 31 votes.
But only 24% of the 18,000 members bothered to vote, giving Higginbottom victory with 1,912 votes.
Griffin immediately attacked the result saying material biased against him was sen a t "almost with the ballot forms", He said it was too soon to know what else he would do.
The result comes at the end of an unsettled time for the union. Two months ago Griffin issued a writ against the URTU and four of its executive members. He went to the High Court to prevent publication of details of a complaint made by Higginbottom against him, but was unsuccessful. Higginbottom attributes the low turn-out to apathy towards unions. He wants to Combat that apathy; to start a URTU temporary drivers' agency and to consider building truckstops with other small investors.
For the time being Higginbottom will work from his Whitby base, but he plans to move nearer URTU's Manchester headquarters to carry out his £27,000 per annum, five-year contract.