TGWU wakes up to killer fatigue
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by Karen Miles • The Transport & General Workers Union has called for shorter drivers' hours and better rest facilities because, it says, tiredness at the wheel kills eight drivers every year.
This is the first time a figure has been put on the number of deaths caused by driver fatigue. It has been released by the union as general-secretary Bill Morris launches a campaign to improve drivers' conditions.
The union says between 1979 and 1990 a total of 325 drivers died as a result of road accidents while working, and around a quarter, or 82, were due to fatigue. It says truck drivers are nine times more likely to be killed in a road accident than other male workers.
At the launch of the campaign Morris said "The T&G wants a maximum 10-hour working day for drivers, with a top limit of eight hours behind the wheel. Rules should be enforced more thoroughly and there should be proper parking, rest and refreshment facilities for all professional drivers. A tired driver is a danger to the public."
Morris, who is being challenged for the post of general-secretary, will also ask the union's negotiators to push for reduced hours with no loss of pay.
"Professional drivers don't have a choice about when to take a break from driving," he says. "For them the daily pressure is to meet their employers' schedules. That often means being forced to drive for dangerously long hours. Drivers are unhappy with the situation, but are powerless to do anything about it, unless they relish the thought of the sack."