Hauliers in bid to bring country to standstill
HARD-PRESSED Tayside hauliers last night voted to put their trucks off the road next week in protest at new Euro legislation and rising fuel costs.
Haulage bosses and a smattering of drivers from the area and across the north-east of Scotland gave a unanimous show of hands for direct action which may escalate across the country.
Nearly 150 people who attended the gathering at Forfar town mart signed up after voicing their concerns over the working time directive limiting drivers’ hours, which they claim has increased costs and hit pay packets.
It has been implemented in the UK, but not in all other states in the European Union, the meeting heard.
Their anger at what was described as a bureaucratic nightmare and unworkable legislation comes on top of that caused by a 10 pence a litre increase in the cost of fueling their vehicles since last year.
Hauliers aim to stay within the letter of the law by all agreeing that employees be instructed to take a five-day holiday starting on Monday, but whether it happens depends on them securing solid national support.
The north-east truck company bosses went away from the meeting to canvass the backing of their colleagues across Scotland to hopefully bring about a blanket shutdown.
Lord Fraser of Carmyllie, who supports the hauliers, warned them to stay within the law.
“If you break the law, you go to jail and you lose your businesses,” he told them.
One haulage boss responded, “But we are going out of business anyway.”
Lord Fraser said the twin threats of working hours limits and fuel duty rises were damaging industry and agriculture in the north-east and that a review of the Euro directive was vital.
The meeting heard some truckers have lost up to £600 wages a month since hours were capped from this month to an average of 48 a week.
One said the industry was losing drivers “hand over fist” as they sought a better living, and the quality of drivers entering was going down.
Andy Swierczek, who chaired the meeting, said a university study showed the country will virtually grind to a halt after two days of lorry movements halting.
“Some bits will struggle on for 72 hours and some bits might go on for five days,” he said. “The problem is, you have to be assured you have the support of your customers, fellow hauliers and the general public.
“Unfortunately, it is no good if 70% of you go along with this and 30% go behind your backs and poach your customers.”
Pat Glancey, of the Road Haulage Association, agreed and said, “For someone to say yes I will do it, only for someone else to take your work is wrong.”
The united front is vital, according to David Murray, of David Murray Transport in Carnoustie, who said something had to be done to save his industry which is taking a “hammering.”
Restrictions on hauliers because of the directive are “another nail in the coffin.”
The fuel blockades of 2000 are still fresh in many minds but there was no intention of a repeat.
“If everybody in the country just took a holiday we would not be breaking the law, but there would not be lorries on the road because everybody would be on holiday,” he added.
Other truck firm chiefs agreed that fuel blockades worked then but another approach was now needed.
A group of hauliers agreed to form an action group to co-ordinate efforts, timed to coincide with the lead up to the election.
