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by Juliet Parish • Drivers at Prestons of Potto may take industrial action unless the company offers a conventional pay rise, instead of fuel economy bonuses which their union says are impossible to reach.
Transport & General Workers Union district officer Allan Gray says that unless Prestons backs down this week he will call in the Advisory. Conciliation and Arbitration Service. If ACAS fails to settle the dispute he will ballot the 117 drivers at Prestons' two North-East sites on industrial action_
The drivers want a basic pay increase of around £20 a week, bringing their wage to £162.65 for a 40-hour week (CM 12-18 August).
Gray says Prestons' plan to reward drivers for better fuel efficiency is unreasonable following the company's claim that fitting speed limiters has led to higher diesel bills. Prestons admits that mandatory fitment of limiters on trucks over 16 tonnes has the fuel on its higher horsepower trucks from 38.71it/1001un (7.3mpg) to 40.91it/100km (6.9mpg). "If that is the case how the hell can my lads get 7.5mpg as the company wants, to get extra money?" asks Gray. "It's bloody ridiculous." Prestons director David Preston says talks with drivers are "amicable" and that there is no need for ACAS to intervene.
The company will train its drivers to save fuel by avoiding over revving the engine and making optimum use of top gear, he says. • Strong financial results returned last week by Tibbett & Britten were tempered with caution over the vulnerability of its newly acquired car transportation business, Silcock Express.
Trading for the six months to 26 June brought a £176.9m turnover—up 74% over the same period last year—with a 69% growth in pre-tax profit to £ 11.4m. The increase was boosted by Silcock Express, which contributed a £4m operating profit on a turnover of £52.6m.
But analysts warn that in the coming year Silcock could prove to be Tibbett & Britten's most vulnerable business: "The major risk is what's going on with European car sales," says one. "Silcock is 50% based on Continental business and car sales are getting tough."
Silcock is still talking to its workforce about possible redundancies on a compound contract it has with Ford at Dagenham and Halewood (CM17-23 June).