Eastern pay deal gives 22.5p rise
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• Thousands of small and medium-sized hauliers in the East of England are being recommended to pay their drivers an extra 22,5p/hour this year following a deal between the Road Haulage Association and union leaders.
The settlement increases minimum hourly rates in the hire and reward sector to £5.13/hour for a 40-hour week. Maximum rates increase to £5.45/hour.
Although negotiated by the East Midlands Joint Industrial Council, RHA regional secretary Tony Weedop says the deal applies to around 4,300 members based between the River Humber and the south coast. Their average fleet size is five vehicles.
"The increase is more than the employers wanted to pay but it is a further step towards addressing the problem of driver shortages which will worsen when the Working Time Directive comes in," he says.
The deal, which is worth 4.3%-4.6%, also increases the overnight subsistence allowance to £22.15.
Alan Tiplady, leader of the Transport & General Workers Union JIC negotiating team, says a minimum of £6/hour will remain the union's target in any local negotiations but he concedes that the JIC deal is well above inflation.
Earlier this month, West Midlands JIC agreed an increase of 30p/hour (CM 6-12 February).