darren1000:
Yes, this industry should be worth £15 per hour. If drivers stuck together it would happen but as you can see from the replies too many people are satisied with poor wages and conditions.
I don’t earn poor wages for what I do I have a 61 plate lorry air con cd etc.
What am I going to strike for. Because the girl in accounts don’t ■■■■ me off every night or I ain’t got a company BMW.
kr79:
darren1000:
Yes, this industry should be worth £15 per hour. If drivers stuck together it would happen but as you can see from the replies too many people are satisied with poor wages and conditions.I don’t earn poor wages for what I do I have a 61 plate lorry air con cd etc.
What am I going to strike for. Because the girl in accounts don’t ■■■■ me off every night or I ain’t got a company BMW.
Depends how tidy the girl in accounts is ■■? 
darren1000:
Yes, this industry should be worth £15 per hour. If drivers stuck together it would happen but as you can see from the replies too many people are satisied with poor wages and conditions.
Why do you assume the ones who are satisfied have poor conditions and wages? I do 8 -9 hours a shift, drive for 4 hours, less than 30 minutes other work and the rest is POA and I earn good money for that. Plus we just had a pay rise and holidays increased from 28 to 33 days. Nothing for me to strike over.
Be realistic !! drivers sticking together is a total non starter, it will never happen. I was involved in the strike in the late seventies where we were sold out by the unions who would not work together, in fact the T&G didn’t even recognise the URTU. The original plan was to stay out 'til everyone was settled, it didn’t happen. Our firm were still out and all around us were going back, quote: we are settled up you can do as you please unquote: Then there were the exemptions to keep essential services going, I think essential was defined by the size of the “bung”. I have just stopped trading as an owner driver because of the downturn in work, If I was still trading do you think I would be parking up for the duration of the strike? not bloody likely!! I and every other small haulier have found it difficult enough over the last few years to miss an opportunity to make some decent money (and also some good contacts for work) to park up and essentially join the strike . Use your heads lads, the main losers in a strike will be YOUR families dont let them down !! because thats what I think I did in 1979. My wife had to find a job (easier then than now) to feed my kids and she was the one who struggled for months to pay back the debts that I incured with the help of the unions. regards Kevmac47.
Dockers went on strike in the 70s? Then they disapeared job ■■■■■■■
Miners went on strike in the 80,s job ■■■■■■ where are they now.
Truckers in 2012 nah got nice easy job why risk it, oh so has the tanker man but they want yet more greedy buggers is there any wonder the public hates trucks not only do we get in the way on the road but we now want to strike and brink the UK down yet further.
I’m happy with my lot at the moment but I would like too see action and boycotting over some of the things we have to put up with like drivers waiting rooms and parking charges.
billybigrig:
kr79:
darren1000:
Yes, this industry should be worth £15 per hour. If drivers stuck together it would happen but as you can see from the replies too many people are satisied with poor wages and conditions.I don’t earn poor wages for what I do I have a 61 plate lorry air con cd etc.
What am I going to strike for. Because the girl in accounts don’t ■■■■ me off every night or I ain’t got a company BMW.Depends how tidy the girl in accounts is ■■?
Very tidy 
darren1000:
Yes, this industry should be worth £15 per hour. If drivers stuck together it would happen but as you can see from the replies too many people are satisied with poor wages and conditions.
in my opinion statements like this do nothing to dispel the theory that you don’t need to be that bright to drive a truck, so if it’s a job that you don’t need to be that bright to do, why would it attract high wages, unless there’s a shortage of people wanting to do it? and there isn’t.
very, very few people will think they’re getting what they deserve. so if drivers go on strike, then surely every other profession is entitled to go on strike, so once everyone’s done striking and it’s all sorted out, then your 15 bucks will buy you something similar to what your current wages buys you.
every man and woman old enough to drive a truck dictates the wages that truck drivers get.
if you’re not happy on truck driving wages, go and do something else.
turnip:
Following on from the tanker drivers news, I’m curious how many of you would support a general drivers strike??
I would for the right reason & that would be pay ! Personally I think all other issues are secondary and should be dealt with around a negotiating table. But if pay could be raised for everybody across the board then yes I would. How about you ■■?
yep,sounds fair enough to me
mikey-t:
its all a joke mate! i wouldn’t strike full stop i wouldn’t be setting criteria in an industry were i am lucky to be working! i know theres 1000s of guys out there aching to have MY job and i would not put that on the line! if i felt hard done by i would talk it through with management or get a different job.
If your prepared to talk to Management or get a different job, then that is effectivly nagotiating and then taking action when the nagotiation fails. so why not call it what it is, withdrawl of labour “strike”.
As for the 1000s of guys wanting your job, well when my bosses try that sort of stunt I tell theyre lucky I turn up to do theyre crappy work each day, I think they think I’m having a laugh, thick as **** 
and of the 1000, 750 are to idle to get out of bed in the morning, and the other will trash the moter first day out. that why you’re doing it and they aint 
And i would be prepared to take Industrial action, and have done in the past, but not had to resort to strike, yet
I was involved in the strike in the late seventies The original plan was to stay out 'til everyone was settled, it didn’t happen. Our firm were still out and all around us were going back, quote: we are settled up you can do as you please unquote:
Chap I used to work with, he reckoned that their firm were allready paying over what was being asked for, and they all carried wage slips with them and kept working. kind fits with what your saying Kevmac
switchlogic:
I’m perfectly happy with my lot so no
+1.
orys:
switchlogic:
I’m perfectly happy with my lot so no+1.
+2.
Go out on strike, let’s say it lasts two weeks; that’s a grand in gross wages lost, even assuming you win and get an extra quid an hour you’re going to have to put a few hours in just to be back where you started; assuming that is you’ve got a job to go back to.
Good comment above about some drivers not being the brightest, they can’t even do simple maths!
I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, the easiest way to bring this country to a halt would be to work strictly to rule; that’s 40 mph on A-roads, 50 on duals, no tipping off the card, all defects fixed before you go out on the road, etc etc.
By the end of the second week things would be so far behind that the system would clog solid; mostly with accidents caused by impatient car drivers. Nothing illegal about it, and the government would lose a helluva lot of revenue in speeding fines.
Plus the added chance of VOSA being disbanded cos there’s ■■■■ all for them to do!
Pie in the sky though because it requires everyone to stick together.
gnasty gnome:
orys:
switchlogic:
I’m perfectly happy with my lot so no+1.
+2.
Go out on strike, let’s say it lasts two weeks; that’s a grand in gross wages lost, even assuming you win and get an extra quid an hour you’re going to have to put a few hours in just to be back where you started; assuming that is you’ve got a job to go back to.
Good comment above about some drivers not being the brightest, they can’t even do simple maths!
I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, the easiest way to bring this country to a halt
would be to work strictly to rule; that’s 40 mph on A-roads, 50 on duals, no tipping offYou are so right, however as a driver for many years, now mostly retired but still doing a bit, I know what would happen. Everybody would say Yes, then a great majority of them would do the very opposite.
Cheers, Archie.
the card, all defects fixed before you go out on the road, etc etc.
By the end of the second week things would be so far behind that the system would clog solid; mostly with accidents caused by impatient car drivers. Nothing illegal about it, and the government would lose a helluva lot of revenue in speeding fines.
Plus the added chance of VOSA being disbanded cos there’s [zb] all for them to do!
Pie in the sky though because it requires everyone to stick together.
gnasty gnome:
I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, the easiest way to bring this country to a halt would be to work strictly to rule; that’s 40 mph on A-roads, 50 on duals, no tipping off the card, all defects fixed before you go out on the road, etc etc.
.
Done that as work to rule. just as effective as strike, but you all got to do it
Go out on strike, let’s say it lasts two weeks; that’s a grand in gross wages lost, even assuming you win and get an extra quid an hour you’re going to have to put a few hours in just to be back where you started; assuming that is you’ve got a job to go back to.
!
I’m on a base 50hr week, so at a £1 an hour I make that break even in 20 weeks and that dont include incremental increase on overtime. And when next year comes your starting of at £1 an hour higher as your present base figure, works for me
Good comment above about some drivers not being the brightest, they can’t even do simple maths
Sorry for being thick 
Where I work there’s a lot of “we should all stick to 40” when the work’s stacked up, but they still rush about…unless they catch me up on a single c/way 
eddie snax:
I’m on a base 50hr week, so at a £1 an hour I make that break even in 20 weeks and that dont include incremental increase on overtime. And when next year comes your starting of at £1 an hour higher as your present base figure, works for me
Yes Eddie, but that’s assuming you get that raise in the first place; BTW a quid an hour on the average driver’s wage would be an increase of over 10% and I haven’t seen that kind of raise outside banking for a good few years. I used it as an example for simplicity of calculation. 
And of course, the longer you strike for, the more you’re behind, and at worst you end up going back with no raise at all.
Drivers would not be striking from any position of strength; quite apart from the fact that there was much more of a unified culture amongst drivers (and workers in general) in 1979 the whole nation was in striking mood too. And there weren’t any East European drivers and hauliers waiting in the wings.
FWIW I earn decent money working for a company which looks after me reasonably well all of the time. In return I have to work reasonably hard sometimes. I think that’s a fair exchange, so no strike for me, sorry.
turnip:
Following on from the tanker drivers news, I’m curious how many of you would support a general drivers strike??
I would for the right reason & that would be pay ! Personally I think all other issues are secondary and should be dealt with around a negotiating table. But if pay could be raised for everybody across the board then yes I would. How about you ■■?
Have you been drinking?
I am very surprised by the negative responses to this thread.
I would certainly support a strike if its aims were to get a decent wage (>£10ph) for a decent working week (<45 hours pw) and enshrining drivers rights in law.
With so many drivers working through agencies, any attempt to insist on rights (eg i am too exhausted to continue driving safely) results in pay being docked.
Anyway this will all be academic with the advent of robot trucks (see New Scientist 31.3.12)
Euro:
I am very surprised by the negative responses to this thread.I would certainly support a strike if its aims were to get a decent wage (>£10ph) for a decent working week (<45 hours pw) and enshrining drivers rights in law.
With so many drivers working through agencies, any attempt to insist on rights (eg i am too exhausted to continue driving safely) results in pay being docked.
Anyway this will all be academic with the advent of robot trucks (see New Scientist 31.3.12)
There is already law regulating the driver’s hours. Why more legislation?
gnasty gnome:
eddie snax:
I’m on a base 50hr week, so at a £1 an hour I make that break even in 20 weeks and that dont include incremental increase on overtime. And when next year comes your starting of at £1 an hour higher as your present base figure, works for meYes Eddie, but that’s assuming you get that raise in the first place; BTW a quid an hour on the average driver’s wage would be an increase of over 10% and I haven’t seen that kind of raise outside banking for a good few years. I used it as an example for simplicity of calculation.
And of course, the longer you strike for, the more you’re behind, and at worst you end up going back with no raise at all…
I did realise that you were using simple figures to emphasise your point, I too was turning that around to say that an increase is a gain no matter how long it takes to recuop losses. and I dont beleave many if any hualier would still be trading after 2 week walk out. In the real world intermitent days and work to rule are more effective, and less punitive in the procces of concentrating minds.
And yes £1 an hour is not a realistic settlement. I’m not one of those who think we can get £15 basic, and pay is and should be regionaly variable, and I’m not a great fan of the 48 hour week, or any reduction in possible working time. I will work like a dog Monday to Friday, but rarely make myself available for weekend work.
Drivers would not be striking from any position of strength; quite apart from the fact that there was much more of a unified culture amongst drivers (and workers in general) in 1979 the whole nation was in striking mood too. And there weren’t any East European drivers and hauliers waiting in the wings.
Agreed, though that does not make it wrong.
FWIW I earn decent money working for a company which looks after me reasonably well all of the time. In return I have to work reasonably hard sometimes. I think that’s a fair exchange,
Agreed again, though we have just lost a contract which I have been on, and as such have seen hours and nights away slashed, but no lay off’s. even I will compromise, but when work picks up so should the wages as reward for loyalty. If I stick it out.
so no strike for me, sorry
Dont be sorry, if we all thought a like it would be a quieter less colourful world