Hauliers want own board
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A SEPARATE road haulage industry training board, with an industry-nominated chairman and a staff of 50, should be created as a matter of urgency, according to the Road Haulage Association.
The RHA has repeated its dissatisfaction with the existing Road Transport Industry Training Board, saying it is still too top heavy in its 27 board member form, and says there is too great a conflict of interests between the haulage and garage industries.
And, worse perhaps, it adds: "The road haulage sector has lost confidence in the present board, which has been reluctant to change, and is convinced that a better framework could be pro vided under a new board for meeting future training needs." It wants a haulage board to be established with representatives of employers, employees, and educationalists, and for the chairman to be appointed by the RHA.
The RHA says a separate board would provide "adequate training standards acceptable to the industry, together with research and development and advisory and consultancy services." It would require a total staff of around 50, and the RHA believes that RTITB staff engaged on haulage industry work should be made redundant, and "all staff employed by the new board" would be offered terms and conditions acceptable to the industry.
Indeed, the RHA makes clear its view of existing terms and conditions, as it says a slimmer, fitter haulage board would be administered by staff with "more realistic" conditions of employment.
It wants arrangements to be made for specialist sectors within the industry to have fully developed powers to determine their own training and grant/levy policies, provided they meet basic statutory requirements, follow Government policies, and the general supervision provided by the Manpower Services Commission.
The RHA wants financial support to be provided to develop group training accociations and company training ventures.