1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164 
MG repeats call for £10 an hour
Page 12
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
• The Transport and General Workers Union (T&G) has repeated its call for a i10/hr minimum wage for all truck drivers when the Working Time Directive (WTD) comes into force.
Speaking at the T&G's 40th Biennial Delegate Conference in Brighton, assistant general secretary Jimmy Elsby said that it wanted to see drivers paid the same for a 48-hour week as for a 60-hour working week (CM13-20 March).
Elsby says that the public perception of the road haulage industry is one of poor pay and conditions and a long hours culture, but he believes that the WTD can be used to re-address this.
Elsby says: "Quite simply professional drivers need professional terms and con
ditions of employment. There is a shortfall of between 80,000 to 100,000 HGV drivers, yet employers are trying to use the shortages as an excuse for not bringing in the WTD.
"But basic economics tell us that it is the current levels of earnings and hours that are the problem, not the WTD. The industry has to pay proper rates of pay for professional workers."
The T&G also wants a minimum 11-hour daily rest period in addition to the 24 hours' rest period, in line with the WTD, as well as reform of the UK domestic hours' regulations to secure shorter spells of driving before taking a break, and a shorter maximum day.
The union has also demanded that local authorities' transport plans should include truck stops and secure truck parks, including the segregation of vehicles, with CCTV and safety equipment for drivers.