Rail strike threa lifts hauliers
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DESPITE the confusic caused by the National Unii of Mineworkers decision block the transfer of nc mally-railed coal to ro haulage, hauliers were still e pecting a sharp upturn business as a result of threatened rail strike is' went to press. One predicti was or a doublingof cum levels of business.
Already lorry loads of ir ore are feeding the Brit Steel Corporatimi works 4Ianwern and Scunthor with 10111,000 tonnes WL (CM August 24).
There the railwayuien ; refusing to run the ore tra because British Rail has tr. to introduce driver-only ura on the flows.
As we went to press picture was unclear As tO hi the rail dispute would I whip. But RHA national t ping committee ehairin Roger llobby predict( 'Providing we have the fie bilitv we can double t number of lorries on Tipping and loading hours a day would prov greater utilisation — with greater tax or insural: payments, he said.
At the Saute time all lorries that appeared dur the miners' strike wot quickly materialise again there was a rail stike, added.
He also predicted that main blocks to a succes road operation would co from the unions.
The National Union Mineworkers' executive South Wales decided 1 week to black the movem of coal by lorry which wo normally go by rail.
At the same time the tan drivers could refuse to ca the extra oil and diesel, wh would cause a far gre problem. "This could rei, in a shortage of dery for general operators," warned.
• Railfreight's major c tomer, the Central Electrii Generating Board, has c firmed that it is in touch v hauliers over the possibilit a rail dispute.