ENOUGH IS ENOUGH
Page 5
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• Squeeze someone hard enough and sooner or later they'll yell "enough!". That certainly seems to be the case with the Derbyshire tippermen who are currently embroiled in a rates war with some of the biggest names in the quarry business.
It's amazing they haven't done it sooner. The question is whether they can actually force a rates rise in the face of spiralling inflation and rising costs. The official statement from RMC at Dove Holes quarry, which says that "the company recognises the effect of these costs and is reviewing the rates structure", is obviously couched in the official language of diplomacy. But it does at least indicate that RMC acknowledges things cannot continue as they are. The quarries must accept that there is no point in pinning sub-contractors down on rates simply because there will always be other people to take the place of those who collapse under the strain. Giving a job to the lowest bidder may save money but what will it do to the service?
Do Britain's quarry owners really want a transport system based on "here today, gone tomorrow operators", rather than professional hauliers? It's not just the image of road transport that's at stake here.
The quarry operators can't have their cake and eat it. If they want the flexibility of third-party haulage they must pay the right price for it. Their rates must be set at a level which allows sub-contractors to not only meet fuel bills and everyday running costs, but also fund vehicle replacement, and proper servicing and maintenance programmes. All the things a professional haulier needs if he is to survive in today's business environment.
Like most industrial disputes the key to the tippermens' success lies in solidarity. As soon as one person breaks ranks then the task for the others will become even harder. Unfortunately, road hauliers in the past have all too often been their own worst enemies when it comes to rate cutting and undercharging for their services.
Given the current price of diesel and the uncertainty of the economy there may not be a better time to demapd a fair day's rate for a fair day's work. Perhaps it's time for every haulier to yell "enough".