URTU denies any U-turn on shame
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• The United Road Transport Union denies making a U-turn over its pledge to publicly shame employers who force drivers to break the law, as part of its year-long "whistleblower" campaign.
At last year's Trades Union Congress in Brighton, URTU president Dave Holden told delegates that the union would confront the guilty parties— whether they are cowboy operators or Traffic Commissioners, Vehicle Inspectorate and police enforcement staff who are failing to respond to the hundreds of complaints about employers from URTU members.
However, almost a year after the warning, URTU has not taken any action. "We haven't had to," says a spokesman. "The threat has been effective, although we would be prepared to do it at any time."
Since the declaration URTU says it has been working closely with the Vehicle Inspectorate and in some cases has given information which has led to successful prosecutions. "We haven't felt it necessary to doorstep the VI," the spokesman adds.