Extraordinary Action by the Air Ministry
Page 16
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A CCORDING to the terms of an agreement entered into between the S.J.C. and the Air Ministry, a schedule -of rates for the haulage of sand and -ballast was put into force, as and from June 4, 1943. It was expressly _.stated that the schedule should apply to all haulage of sand and ballast to Air Ministry sites, the rates set out to be net to the haulage contractor. In emphasis of the latter point, and presumably to eliminate the possibility ' of loopholes, it has stipulated that where any services are provided for the benefit of haulage contractors, such services shall be charged for by invoicing specifically for each particular service rendered, and not by deduction or discount from the scheduled rates.
The rates were by no means extravagant—it is _ not the way of Government Departments to overpay hauliers—but the S.J.C. was, nevertheless, to be congratulated on the result of this achievement, a good example of the effect of collective bargaining. We have had occasion, time and again, in our service to operators, to refer to the existence of the schedule, and to advise them to insist on being paid the appropriate rates for any work of this kind in which they were engaged, bearing in mind that in every case they are retrospective to the date named in the agreement.
Judge of our surprise then, When, on a recent occasion of that kind, we received a letter from an inquirer, stating that the gravel merchant for whom he had been working not only refused the rates, but produced a letter from the Air Ministry endorsing that course. Important points from this letter, points which indicate its extraordinary nature, having in mind the particularly explicit wording of the agreement, as emphasized above, are :— " These rates . . . are not fixed rates . . . and are not to be communicated to suppliers of transport . . . in no case is the main contractor to be gratuitously granted extra payment due to the agreed schedule being made retrospective to June 4. . . . The rates are those agreed with the road hauliers' national organization and are applicable to affiliated members of those organizations: they do not apply to non-members. . . ."
This last remark is particularly interesting, having in mind the express stipulation, in the agreement, that the rates are to apply to "all haulage of sand and ballast to Air Ministry sites."
Aghast at this example of double-dealing by a Government Department, we communicated immediately with the S.J.C., which advised us that it was in receipt of similar complaints and was taking action accordingly.
The 'result of that action is described in our news pages in this issue. _ The S.J.C. is to be complimented on its prdrnpt and effective work. •