Alan Law hands over responsibility for car delivery men
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oy CM reporter
T his own request, Mr Van Law, road haulage supremo" of the Transport nd General Workers' Jnion in the Midlands, has ieen relieved of responsifor membership in car elivery operations.
In asking to be relieved, ,elr Law is believed to have nticipated a principal findig of an internal union cornlittee of inquiry. The lirmingham car delivery lembership — which lcludes transporter drivers, platers" (delivering cars on -ade plates), ferry drivers ;hunting new cars from tctory to compounds) and ardmen will now be )oked after by Mr Douglas 'airburn, West Midlands divisional officer, formerly in charge of car delivery members in Coventry.
The inquiry was set up following allegations by 21 drivers employed by Autocar and Transporters Ltd, of Wythall. Birmingham, that Mr Law and the union were not representing their interests effectively. The drivers had lost their jobs as a result of reduced car production.
Mr Brian Mathers, TGWU regional secretary, conducted the inquiry assisted by Mr Arthur Davies, chairman of the union's Midland regional committee and Mr Ray Fardell, of Smethwick.
The inquiry committee's report is understood to include four key recommendations: that Mr Law should relinquish responsibility for car delivery membership in the Birmingham area; that the Car Delivery Council, with appropriate constitutional amendments, should function on the same basis as existing TGWU district committees; that the officers of the union should strive to obtain employment within the car delivery industry for the dismissed Autocar plater drivers; and that there should be a re-drafting of a crucial clause in the existing agreement relating to the employment of nonpermanent employees. No comment on the present situation was available from Autocar and Transporter's management this week but Mr Brian Mathers, regional chief of the TGWU, told CM that the inquiry committee had not at any time considered "disciplining" Mr Law.
Mr Mathers said he regretted that the Sunday Times who published two recent lengthy articles on the dispute — had. apparently not attempted to check the accuracy of statements published with any responsible official of the union.
Mr Law remains regional trade group secretary, and secretary of the influential Branch 5/35.