Pay fridion sparks may catch
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Deliveries for multi-modal specialist Freightliner could be derailed if a drivers' pay dispute gets out of hand. Guy Sheppard reports.
[RUCK DRIVERS at container specialist Freightmet will be voting on strike action having overwhelm ngly rejected a £1.41/hour pay rise, The RMT union recommended rejection of the iffer, condemning it as self-financing.
Union leaders say the offer was not enough to :ompensate for the introduction of the 48-hour week rom next month.
"It looked a big jump but it involved a buy-out of ,onuses and overtime rates,says RMT senior issistant general-secretary Mick Cash.
He adds that the workforce of more than 130 lrivers currently do an average of 50-55 hours/week. :hey had already voted to strike in an earlier ballot vhen the company's initial proposal to restructure tay was rejected.
Freightliner is the UK's leading carrier of containers rom ports, using a fleet of 130 trucks as well as rail. Apart from increasing the basic rate to £7.50/hr and educing the basic working week from 37 to 35 hours, he company says it is offering a 34% increase in final alary pension benefits.
Richard Branston. general manager for port and oad operations. says: "A vote for strike action would le disappointing because these proposals show our ommitment to our truck drivers."