Don’t misunderstand me lads I am not ,nor ever have been, in favour of strikes but in '79 the T & G Drivers were “sold down the river” by their “brothers” in other Unions ! As an employer at the time I just wanted, once and for all, for the Country to be brought to an immediate short sharp standstill so as to bring home to the general populace how important the Road transport industry was to the life blood of the country ! I know! I know! I was an employer but matters had got the point whereby something drastic had to done, once and for all ! But in the event we had to endure a lingering “death” of some firms being giving Union dispensation to continue operating courtesy of the ■■■■■■■ T & G. One instance comes to mind regarding a local Paper Mill. All the own account drivers at the Mill, bar one, were members of SOGAT who kept working ! but the one Driver who was a member of the General & Municipal Workers Union ( IIRC) was “parked up” for the duration of the strike as this individual’s Union was officially part of the strike !! So much for solidarity of “The Brothers” ! The outcome of the abortive strike was the last straw for me, from there on in the Union could ■■■■ off !! I ensured that our work force from then on were always paid in excess, and enjoyed superior terms, to that demanded by the T & G i.e. Accident Insurance cover ( Bewick 104 weeks, TDG 26 weeks !) overalls/uniform ( years before “fast eddie”) 4 weeks paid holiday and paid by the hour plus Time and a half for over time and double time for Sunday ! none of “a basic and a warped bonus scheme” ! IIRC I never had any further problems from 1980 onwards, the Union never bothered me as our T & C’s were superior to the T & G’s asperations ! All our Lads were union members but it was just to be able to gain access to the Docks etc. We never asked a Driver to do anything I or our Manager ( first Driver) to do anything we wouldn’t , legally, do ourselves !
So the faster we get out of the EU the better and get back to sanity ! The release of files from over 30 years ago when we were conned into joining this “United States of Europe” by Grocer Heath ( yes a Conservative) speaks volumes as to why it was great big ■■■■■■■ mistake ! But my conscience is clear because in the 1975 referendum I voted not to join the EEC as it was described at the time ! What a ■■■■■■■ CON !! That ■■■■ Heath should be dug up and ■■■■■■■ shot !!! he was a bigger ■■■■■■■ con man than Harold Wilson at least you knew which side of the fence he was on ! Which is the same as thinking about Mother Teresa ! She is a “dyed in the wool ■■■■■■■ Remainer” Rant over ! going to get me’sel a beer out the fridge ! Cheers Bewick.