R.H04 Appears and Does Not Help
Page 18
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T" new Order R.H.4, which supersedes and cancels, on May 6, R.H.2, has been published, and should, within a few days, be in the hands of all operators as specified below. Copies are presumed to be posted direct to all such operators. Further copies, for posting, may be obtained free of charge by employers affected on application to the secretary of the Road Haulage Wages Boards, Gordon Hotel, Leicester Street, Southport, Lancs. Any such application should state the number of extra copies required and the addresses of the premises in which the additional copies will be posted.
This new Order embodies and makes statutory the increases in wages alreadyapproved by the Central Wages Board, that is, of 5s., 4s, and 3s, per week for drivers in Grades I, II and III respectively: also 5s. per week for workers in London and those on long-distance services. Youths in similar categories receive increases of 2s. 6d., 2s. and 1s. 6d. respectively. The subsistence allowance is increased from 5s. to 6s. and there are some alterations in conditions. Full details will be given in our next week's issue, with which will be presented a supplement embodying the new scales of wages.
The new Order does not, except in one case, clarify any of the problems,
or straighten out any of the complications and inconsistencies which were • enumerated in articles published in our issues dated April 13 and April 27. The exception is that relating-to the wages of milk workers on Sundays. These are now clearly stated to be at the rate of time-and-a-quarter throughout the day.
There is an important difference with regard to the penalties which may be imposed for failure to pay the statutory rates of wages. In R.H.2, a defaulting employer ran the risk of losing his licence or having it suspended. That clause is now deleted.
It is now the case that this Order formally applies, in addition to vehicles operated under A and B licences, to road haulage workers employed in work " in connection with any goods vehicle in respect of which there is current a defence permit certificate in the, same form as an identity certificate in respect of a vehicle authorized to be used under an A or B licence, but overprinted ' Defence Permit' other than a defence permit certificate, which includes a condition that the vehicle shall not be used in any circumstances on a road for the carriage of goods for hire or reward," There is a list of localities and their grades, arranged in alphabetical order for convenience.