Hauliers shun Euro wage base
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• Hauliers have given a massive thumbs down to the concept of a single European market and the introduction of a minimum wage. Research by International Factors and the Mail on Sunday has shown that 66% of hauliers disagreed that business would benefit from a single European market. And 83% did not believe that haulage firms would gain from the introduction of a minimum wage. Only 3% of hauliers are predicting growth for 1997 even though 58% saw expansion over the past year.
The main reasons for the pessimistic forecast were: fears over interest rates, fuel costs, late payment of invoices and the economic climate. Late payment is still a thorny issue with three quarters of hauliers agreeing that customers are paying later than usual. Charles Anderson, managing director of International Factors, says: "Overall, the results were not as positive about the coming year as recent Government figures. This may be due to companies taking a positive but cautious attitude, or it may be due to lack of awareness of ways they can achieve growth."
The research covered more than 1,000 small to mediumsize businesses across the UK.