Pressure mounts for PO tachos
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THE TRANSPORT and General Workers Union has added its support to the Road Haulage Association's campaign to remove the Post Office's exemption from EEC drivers' hours and tachograph legislation on its parcels activities.
This became clear last week when TGWU London regional officer John Moore gave evidence to the House of Lords European Affairs Committee, which is investigating these regulations. The RHA has also made clear its objections (CM, January 29).
Mr Moore told committee chairman Lord Kings Norton that the Post Office exemption was a very important matter to it, and called for the Lords' support in having the exemption removed.
He said the exemption had been made at the start because of the Post Office's role as a public utility and at a time when its activity in the parcels market was very low key. But the more recent expansion of Post Office parcels business, with larger and heavier parcels being accepted, put it into competition with operators whose activities are governed by the EEC regulations.
Post Office parcels work, often using full-size lorries for trunk haulage, was now a commercial road transport operation, and Mr Moore added: "We believe it should not continue to enjoy the protection of not being covered by drivers' hours and tachograph regulations."
Mr Moore told Lord Kearton he accepted that the PO drivers worked within the spirit of rules limiting their daily spreadover duty to 14 hours, but this corn
pared with 121/2 hours for private sector parcels drivers.
He said the TGWU also wanted local multiple collection and delivery drivers to be exempt from tachograph regulations, provided they were limited to driving within a 50mile radius of their base, but they opposed any increase in the maximum permitted duty day.
RHA director-general Freddie Plaskett, who first publicised the industry's disquiet over the apparently unfair advantage of the PO and who has discussed the matter with TGWU drivers' national officer Jack Ashwell, told CM he welcomed the Union's assistance in this campaign.
He said that former Transport Secretary David Howell had accepted that the exemption "sits oddly" with the Government's aims to help the private sector grow in sectors in which the public sector has a strong presence.
PO parcels van drivers are members of the Union of Cornmunication Workers. It is broadly opposed to any change in the regulations.
UCW drivers' spokesman John Taylor told CM that the Union was not prepared to accept any change in the present position.