Ban: Unions stand firm
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THE TRANSPORT and General Workers' Union's insistence on having one of its own members on the London lorry ban exemption appeals committee could yet lead to the two trade associations each having a nominee on the committee.
The TGWU is refusing to accept the joint nomination from the two other trades unions chosen by the GLC the shop workers' union USDAW and the United Road Transport Union.
With its claimed 30,000 transport members in the London area, the TGWU says that it is by far the major union. It has been invited to nominate someone and would not be prepared to work under another union's candidate, the TGWU says.
USDAW and URTU have jointly nominated Richard McSephney, who us
USDA'/'s transport committee chairman.
But the TGWU's demand that its London secretary John Moore sits on the lorry ban independent appeals advisory committee for operators, means that the committee's present planned six places could be stretched.
If there were two trades union representatives Moore and McSephney the GLC would find it hard to resist pressure to expanding the number of places held for other groups.
And up to now, the Road Haulage Association and the Freight Transport Association have jointly nominated P&O's Ted HaMs, although they both wanted separate candidates when originally consulted by the GLC.
The Labour-controlled Association of London Authorities and the Conservative influenced London Borough's Association also want separate candidates. But so far the GLC has insisted on a joint nomination.
The question of the makeup of the committee must be settled in the next few weeks.
The GLC hopes that it will be operational by the end of this month so that operators refused exemptions will be able to appeal in time for the ban's planned introduction on December 16.
• The last of the Freight Transport Association's seminars on how to obtain permits for exemption from the London lorry ban is being held in Birmingham on October 8.
The seminar runs from 7.30pm until 9.30pm and is being held at the Apollo Hotel, Hagley Road, Bir
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