Edicts m ari
Page 2
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Haulage comes first
WE DETECT little enthusiasm for the proposed transport strike on November 8. That does not mean it will not happen. By holding its hand on official instructions to its members, the Transport & General Workers Union could be lulling employers into a false sense of security and then spring into action at the last minute.
We may be misrepresenting the TGWU strategy and tactics. Probably they, like the rest of us, now see the futility of these days of inactivity. Certainly the health service workers have derived little benefit so far from strike action.
The health service dispute has nothing to do with industrial relations in road transport. But another day of inactivity could do irreparable damage to road transport.
This week, operators should take time out to advise their drivers what one day's loss of revenue will mean. The men should be left in no doubt about the direct effect on them.
Loss of revenue means loss of pay. Failure to provide a service could mean the permanent loss of traffic and lead to more unemployment.
Drivers should be in no doubt where their loyalties lie. First of all they lie with their dependants; then, their employers. Sympathetic action on behalf of the health service workers could take a more tangible form. Strike action is futile and stupid.