tony,
if you want to raise the profile of drivers (and hauliers),
improve working conditions,
get more truckstops with reasonable parking rates,
get the lower paid drivers on a decent wage.
press the government to introduce the tax on foreign visiting trucks that has been so long in coming
basically, get the government to sort out the abomination that is the british road haulage industry.
then me and i guarantee 100% of drivers in the uk will be behind you all the way
providing the word “strike” is not mentioned.
myself and many others will not strike, we have good employers and would only be ■■■■■■■■ on them too if we went on strike.
by all means hold meetings, drivers (including myself) will go providing you have the publicity and if enough (thousands per meeting) attend and the press are invited to then you will be sure the government will get the message that hgv drivers are getting a bit fed up.(understatement).
do not think that holding a country to ransom by striking will get you your/our wish
regards
dave.
now thats more like it dave. i`ll follow that all the way as would i suspect a lot more 
Dave,
If u read my posts u will see that i nave already conceded that a strike is possibly not the way to go and is maybe even dare i say reckless,but it grabs attention to our plite, with the chance that maybe just maybe this in turn will spark enough intrest to get real change by whatever means is decided and deemed nessasary through constructive disscusion. THE TYPE YOU TALK,…TONY.
May i also add, for those of you lucky enough to have decent pay and conditions/employer ect, you have my best wishes,the majority HAVE NOT, if as a driver you are honest with me, as i try to be with you,you will STRUGGLE TO DISSAGREE THIS INDUSTRY HAS UNDERPAID AND EXPLOITED DRIVERS LONG ENOUGH…
some of the members should read tonys comments and others before they start picking faults with things that all drivers if they are honest agree with most of what is being discussed on this thread.
as per usual i alright jack and sod the others this is one of the reasons that unions do not work within the work place.
AFTER ALL WE ARE NOT ASKING DRIVERS TO COME OUT ON STRIKE BUT IT DOES GET PEOPLE TALKING SO LETS HAVE SOME CONSTRUCTIVE COMMENTS THAT WE ALL AGREE ON.
how to win friends and influence people cannonballs way? can you see why a STRIKE is doomed from the start if you use an aggresive way with words? quote "im all right jack". yes im more than happy with my £10 per hour thanks. im not happy with the parking situation, wages for other drivers, foreign trucks doing my old job etc etc. from what i read of the previous postings it seemed like a strike was being called for. if im wrong i apologise but i wont be bullied into action when other ways are available. jon
come on then jon after all this is what i and others are trying to do to get drivers talking to FIND A WAY FORWARD.
you and others might be happy with your £10 per hour but what about your support for drivers who are on a lot less.
its all there in daves post. organise a BIG meeting. get the press there. get BOTH sites members to attend and it should be a decent size turnout but i wont strike. i dont think it will acheive your hopes for the industry. just think if for one week EVERY DRIVER did 40mph on a-roads, 50 on dual. didnt take breaks while tipping/loading. didnt handball heavy stuff, didnt strip tilts. it would soon be noticed. do it the proper way- not many strikes win do they?
We as a work force need to learn how to lobby Govenment and work the media. We also might need to work with our european counterparts to get our voice heard in Europe. Transport 2000 is has a very small membership. but it has influence in the corridors of power and a spokesperson is called on by radio 4 etc to comment on almost every transport issue.
We need positive publicity, there are many people out there who would rather see us off the roads, they believe all the frieght could be hauled by rail or think we should all work night. They might be wrong, but they are vocal and complain to there MP and councilers for something to be done and then we find we have more weight restrictions and more legistation to deal wih. This is not help by truck drivers driving like the one I saw on the A14 on Monday sitting so close behind a car that the driver could have stuck his hand out of the window and cleaned his lights. It wasn’t even that the car driver was holding him up as they were in a queue of traffic.
well said johnboy
you say you want to hear what drivers want. WELL LISTEN TO THE DRIVERS THEN.
youve asked for ideas,and weve give you some.
we want to be on your side afterall.
yes there is some good comments comming out but i think we need a few more then someone should check them out then do a poll to see what comes out the best…
then as long as there is a percentage interested we should start making enquires to see what help we would get from other sorces.
IF I OFFENDED YOU JON I APOLIGIES FOR IT
we should may be put a time limit on this page then try and do something constructive.
i word of thought what do you think bosses woud do once they found out we are sticking to speed limits etc.
no problem cannonball i take your points. i dont think the gaffers could do much about us running at LEGAL limits though do you?
look what happend to the firemen mind you some of them even picketed around my way when the ones that had hgvs wernt working on our agency
dave:
tony,
if you want to raise the profile of drivers (and hauliers),
improve working conditions,
get more truckstops with reasonable parking rates,
get the lower paid drivers on a decent wage.
press the government to introduce the tax on foreign visiting trucks that has been so long in coming
basically, get the government to sort out the abomination that is the british road haulage industry.
then me and i guarantee 100% of drivers in the uk will be behind you all the way
providing the word “strike” is not mentioned.
myself and many others will not strike, we have good employers and would only be ■■■■■■■■ on them too if we went on strike.
by all means hold meetings, drivers (including myself) will go providing you have the publicity and if enough (thousands per meeting) attend and the press are invited to then you will be sure the government will get the message that hgv drivers are getting a bit fed up.(understatement).
do not think that holding a country to ransom by striking will get you your/our wish
regards
dave.
Sensible stuff. For my own part, I have always stated that to get the haulage industry to what it could and should be the haulage bosses need to be involved too. I have used the phrase park them up, and stand by it. But, I would never “strike” against my gaffer. He himself is of the same opinion as a lot us us on here are, that things do need to be got to grips with, and the picture is large and complicated.
There are things that are really only in the control of the government of the day, whoever they are at a particular time. There are aspects which are in the the sole control of the gaffers, and there are other things that are actually in our feild of influence, the drivers.
This is my opinion on who influences what, and who has the power to affect change in those fields. I would invite and appreciate comment on these too.
-
Law, = the government. This covers a broad spectrum, from hours of work, speed limits, jailed drivers abroad all the way to parking provision, and fair competition by way of harmonising operating costs for us at home and abroad.
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Rates charged and working practice. = gaffers. If the general philosophy of undercutting on the rates to gain work continues as it has for a long time, then the low profits which result from such a practice will continue to be bolstered by bad practice. To name two, bad maintainance and dogging the drivers. Im sure you see where Im coming from here.
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Adhering to laws and working with common sense and safety. = Us, the drivers. We all know that when it comes to the taco, and the speed limit, the buck stops here. And if anything for our benefit long term is going to be achieved, we need to look at this, and decide if we are some of the drivers that are making the cogs keep turning when they really shouldnt. Anybody in the game over 5 mins will know just what Im on about here.
All of the issues that need to be tackled cannot be tackled without the co-operation of the above mentioned parties, so of course, a “strike” in the traditional sense would only be able to focus on a limited goal. Now, for some, as I have said before, the wedge is all, and thats ok, it’s their business and we are free to believe what we want. For others, it is conditions, and justice and a raft of other complaints that have all been aired here before. There is a very broad spectrum of moans and opinions from waht I can see.
So, I’ll repeat my beliefs again, yes, something needs done, yes, Id be in it, but all the industry working as one, need to be in it for the thing to get done what it could get done. Striking against the gaffers I dont believe is the answer, parking them up with the gaffers on side would be a last resort, that likely wouldnt even be needed with the clout that the industry speaking with one voice would have. Im guessing that what you mean Dave is something similar? it would be a mighty voice for sure!
Mal.
Mal.