Drivers told to cross Channel
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by Karen Miles • International operator Transalliance is in conflict with the United Road Transport Union after trying to claw back its UK losses by cost-cutting changes in working practices.
From 1 November the company's 40 UK drivers have been asked to become international rather than domestic drivers, taking trailers to France, filling up with cheap French diesel and then picking up other trailers for UK delivery. Drivers previously picked up trailers from UK ports for onward delivery and returned trailers to the ports for unaccompanied passage to France.
The URTU wants to clarify if four drivers who are refusing to work abroad have been stood-down or sacked. It argues that these drivers—who could be joined by up to eight other dissenters—have a contract with stipulates domestic-only work, and if they were sacked it would break the transfer of undertakings (TUPE) law.
French group Transalliance, which bought the loss-making part of GB Express after it went into receivership a year ago, says it is trying to make the addition to its operation profitable.
The losses at the £8mturnover operation led directly to the collapse of the rest of the GB Express group (CM 5-11 Jan).
Transalliance says a number of its drivers had been concerned they could find themselves in France for the weekend, but after drivers' meetings last month only a few said they did not want to change.
Those agreeing to the change have received a one-off payment of between £750 and £900.