I have along with others from the past, often saying : lets unite, lets form a union, lets get things done, the average answer was: go forth and multiply…ive got a mortgage, ive got bills to pay, ive got kids at uni, etc etc, etc, etc, blah, blah, blah..it aint gonna happen..too many that look after number one, yet deny anyone who does just that.so i take it that the majority of drivers are happy with their work conditions, i dont want to start anything rolling, but, i fight my own one man war..I dont work 15 hour days..i dont take a 9 hr daily rest..11 is what the law says. Now after that statement lets see what the real drivers have to say, there will be many negative comments about why they like the 9/11 hr rest, why they like the 15 hr day, why they like the 10 drives..so if like me you dont like the present rules, make a stand like the above for starters..you wont be liked, but its a start. As for uniting as a strike force, its been tried, we did it in the 70/80s but it wont work today…sorry.
If you can’t stand up for yourself - don’t expect others to do it for you .
You set your terms and conditions
Stick to your guns when you say you won’t do something .
A union is only interested in how much money they can deduct from your wages every month - they may tell you differently but when push comes to shove they will shaft you just as well as your empolyer will .
Still remember the Arriva (Blyth) drivers coming out on strike early 2000’s because of the near none existent pay rise they were offered…
Was humiliating for them.
Depot shut for all of one day 
Really made a difference that did - not…
weeto:
every driver booking the same 1 week off at the same time.
Most firms have as part of your contract, that annual leave is booked in advance and at the company discretion as to time is available, in other words book early to avoid disappointment. This allows the employer to control how many staff are off at anytime. So it would be impossible to go down the mass holiday booking route without many breaking they’re contract.
Goldfinger:
Still remember the Arriva (Blyth) drivers coming out on strike early 2000’s because of the near none existent pay rise they were offered…Was humiliating for them.
Depot shut for all of one day
Really made a difference that did - not…
No doubt as legal industrial action, they would have had to notify the employer, giving them 7 days to make alternative arrangements. If you take illegal wildcat action, the moment you withdraw your labour you are in breach of contract, that gives you a great nogotiating position. Sorry I’m a miserable cynical old git, but seen done it got kicked in the arse from behind and dumped on from above once to often.
eddie snax:
weeto:
every driver booking the same 1 week off at the same time.Most firms have as part of your contract, that annual leave is booked in advance and at the company discretion as to time is available, in other words book early to avoid disappointment. This allows the employer to control how many staff are off at anytime. So it would be impossible to go down the mass holiday booking route without many breaking they’re contract.
Agreed. Our place operates a two driver off at any one time scheme. Its pretty good on nights as there is only 5 drivers on nights. Day drivers on the other hand have to fight it out.
Radar19:
eddie snax:
weeto:
every driver booking the same 1 week off at the same time.Most firms have as part of your contract, that annual leave is booked in advance and at the company discretion as to time is available, in other words book early to avoid disappointment. This allows the employer to control how many staff are off at anytime. So it would be impossible to go down the mass holiday booking route without many breaking they’re contract.
Agreed. Our place operates a two driver off at any one time scheme. Its pretty good on nights as there is only 5 drivers on nights. Day drivers on the other hand have to fight it out.
At my last employer, I presented a holiday slip for Christmas during April, was told at first, no chance all gone, I then said check the year, it was for the following year, was then told you are definitely the first.
We would be powerful together, look at what train drivers get,
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it will never happen… tanker drivers did it and what did we get from most on here? same when miners went out, drivers carried on through the picket lines… as long as there are folk willing to live in a tin can for £20 so that many drivers can claim they are earning a fortune or the haulier offers them a tenner to go through picket lines nothing will get done…
Most of the petrol drivers got better t&cs and they earn on average about 16.00 per hour in Stanlow
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And it’s up to groups of drivers to say no to poor pay, if we can’t start standing up for ourselves it will stay a poop job
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mshenderson:
We would be powerful together, look at what train drivers get,Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I’d hazard a guess its because they are smaller in number and less fractured. Its well known that truckers are our own worst enemy. There are too many options for haulier bosses to keep things rolling compared to train drivers. If our regular full timers at our place said “Screw you, I’m not driving today”. All my boss would have to do is reach for the phone, call the numerous agencies around here and those wagons will still be moving.
Remember what this job has become. Gone are the days of old where drivers helped each other, gone are the days when drivers would make a stand but even then they wouldn’t have to because the job was good.
I’m not going to be taking part, not because I don’t want to see conditions change but I should of be starting or have just started a new job which is better than my old one. You really think I’d say to be new boss that I wouldn’t be driving on that day?
My old work colleagues all phoned in sick (on the Bitumen) job went out to contract everyone was ■■■■■■ off, it cost the company over 1 million, there still fighting now the new company has tried to change there t&cs but the drivers are sticking together and the company still has not to managed to change a thing, the company is Nynas U.K. They went to suttons to run the transport, a good example of drivers sticking together
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mshenderson:
We would be powerful together, look at what train drivers get,Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
It’s too simplistic as a comparison, they’re level of training and certification is at a higher level than ours. Each Train driver is a far more valuable asset to his employer, meaning the employer is more prone too industrial action, as they can’t simply put an agency driver in the Train.
For us to have that level of value as an asset to our employer, would require high level training for each individual sector of transport, this would make it harder for employer to recruit, and harder for drivers to change jobs without accepting on going personal development.
I look forward to this happening, but I won’t hold my breath !
If everyone done it not one thing the companies could do. Simple
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I was wondering why this thread had a 35k job advert for Wincanton originally, makes more sense now.
Im happy in my job though so will be abstaining from this action.
That job advert is for a poorly paid job buts it’s probably better than what most drivers are earning?
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35k is OK, poorly paid or not is a relative concept.
Great! Another person telling me what I should be earning; when the only similarity between my job and theirs is I spend some time behind the wheel of truck…
Thanks but no thanks.
How many jobs actually pay overtime after 35 hours? Not that many I’d say.
As said train driving does not cover as many area’s as lorry driving, so on the 3rd of April will no bins be collected? no skips delivered? no milk picked up? No one loosing the will to live in an RDC waiting room?
Probably not
And if Drivers (or pretty much any other worker out there nowadays) says no there’s an army of limpers waiting for a call.
It would only be a temporary blip anyway and nothing would be any different on the 4th of April companies would dust themselves down and carry on regardless.
but if I’m wrong VIVA LA REVOLUCION!!