PMQs had a lorry driver question today about the hot food facilities or rather lack thereof
And I’ll bet the reply was, “Whats a truck driver?”
Ken.
Quinny:
And I’ll bet the reply was, “Whats a truck driver?”Ken.
Or…
Let them eat cake.
I actually watched the question time today and the answers given was that all motorway services were open to hgv drivers with as many facilities made available as possible. Also it was recognised that drivers were key workers and a complete rethink of our system on workers who we rely on would be under review. Although a pretty much standard and expected answer at least it looks promising for the future. I genuinely believe the outlook for the haulage industry will change in the next couple of years and for the better. Incoming expected.
UKtramp:
I actually watched the question time today and the answers given was that all motorway services were open to hgv drivers with as many facilities made available as possible. Also it was recognised that drivers were key workers and a complete rethink of our system on workers who we rely on would be under review. Although a pretty much standard and expected answer at least it looks promising for the future. I genuinely believe the outlook for the haulage industry will change in the next couple of years and for the better. Incoming expected.
I’ve just watched it and agree with you.
Cynics will be disappointed to find that it was a Scottish Conservative MP who raised the question. Where’s the union-sponsored Labour MP’s who purport to be looking after workers’ interests when you need them?
Sidevalve:
I’ve just watched it and agree with you.Cynics will be disappointed to find that it was a Scottish Conservative MP who raised the question. Where’s the union-sponsored Labour MP’s who purport to be looking after workers’ interests when you need them?
Thank god they never got in. This government is one of the best we have had for this country in years. There is definitely a shift in the way people view key workers now. The realisation that the likes of the reality TV celebrities and the highly paid footballers are not essential or as important as your average low paid truck driver is. It should have a positive effect.
UKtramp:
I actually watched the question time today and the answers given was that all motorway services were open to hgv drivers with as many facilities made available as possible. Also it was recognised that drivers were key workers and a complete rethink of our system on workers who we rely on would be under review. Although a pretty much standard and expected answer at least it looks promising for the future. I genuinely believe the outlook for the haulage industry will change in the next couple of years and for the better. Incoming expected.
I think you can take it more of a threat than anything else. The Filthies re-evaluation will have a new Essential Workers Act with powers to imprison anyone in the category who goes on strike.
UKtramp:
I genuinely believe the outlook for the haulage industry will change in the next couple of years and for the better. Incoming expected.
I’ll bet that we’re not going to see a NZ or Scandinavian model regards productivety and the other punitive fuel taxation and race to the bottom east euro competition elephants in the room are going nowhere.This is always going to be an anti road transport regime.If not all of those issues could be fixed virtually over night and certainly within a week.
cav551:
UKtramp:
I actually watched the question time today and the answers given was that all motorway services were open to hgv drivers with as many facilities made available as possible. Also it was recognised that drivers were key workers and a complete rethink of our system on workers who we rely on would be under review. Although a pretty much standard and expected answer at least it looks promising for the future. I genuinely believe the outlook for the haulage industry will change in the next couple of years and for the better. Incoming expected.I think you can take it more of a threat than anything else. The Filthies re-evaluation will have a new Essential Workers Act with powers to imprison anyone in the category who goes on strike.
They can’t even do that with the police and fire service so i doubt there’s much chance of it happening with lorry drivers.
Times have moved on a bit since the Tolpuddle martyrs you know.
Carryfast:
I’ll bet that we’re not going to see a NZ or Scandinavian model regards productivety and the other punitive fuel taxation and race to the bottom east euro competition elephants in the room are going nowhere.This is always going to be an anti road transport regime.If not all of those issues could be fixed virtually over night and certainly within a week.
Not convinced your right on this, I think after the dust settles from this virus, all key workers inc hgv drivers will get a better deal. Parliament recognises now the importance of keeping the countries economy working as well as essential goods being transported, can only be a good thing. I don’t agree the eastern euro problem will exist within the next couple of years.
UKtramp:
I actually watched the question time today and the answers given was that all motorway services were open to hgv drivers with as many facilities made available as possible. Also it was recognised that drivers were key workers and a complete rethink of our system on workers who we rely on would be under review. Although a pretty much standard and expected answer at least it looks promising for the future. I genuinely believe the outlook for the haulage industry will change in the next couple of years and for the better. Incoming expected.
I also saw it, a standard Commons type answer, nothing more than paying lip service to the question.
He will have gone home after the session and never give it a second thought again…ever.
I don’t believe UKt that you could be as naive as to actually think, and state, that anything will even change for us, let alone improve, when all this crap is over.
People (and especially MPs) have very short memories.
robroy:
I also saw it, a standard Commons type answer, nothing more than paying lip service to the question.
He will have gone home after the session and never give it a second thought again…ever.I don’t believe UKt that you could be as naive as to actually think, and state, that anything will even change for us, let alone improve, when all this crap is over.
People (and especially MPs) have very short memories.
Under normal circumstances what you say I would agree with Rob, but when MP’s come under the spotlight for failing to provide PPE and paying out all of this furlough money and getting little in return (at the moment). They have to review the whole system of key workers. It has made them sit up and listen as well as answer to some pretty hard hitting questions more than they ever have had to. This crises has shown just how important to the economy low paid and often overlooked workers actually are. I believe we are going to see big changes to all of these type of workers and how to look after them better. It isn’t really being naive but more from an economical must.
UKtramp:
Carryfast:
I’ll bet that we’re not going to see a NZ or Scandinavian model regards productivety and the other punitive fuel taxation and race to the bottom east euro competition elephants in the room are going nowhere.This is always going to be an anti road transport regime.If not all of those issues could be fixed virtually over night and certainly within a week.Not convinced your right on this, I think after the dust settles from this virus, all key workers inc hgv drivers will get a better deal. Parliament recognises now the importance of keeping the countries economy working as well as essential goods being transported, can only be a good thing. I don’t agree the eastern euro problem will exist within the next couple of years.
If they are flying in Romanians in a lock down situation, to do essential jobs that thousands of Brit applicants have been turned down for, what could possibly change in that regard.The UK government has no intention of stopping the race to the bottom.
While fuel taxation taking away work and wages could be stopped now so no intention of that.
The same obviously applies to gross weight and length limits.Allowing 8 and 9 axle drawbar outfits would effectively mean an end to cabotage operations here.While also increasing the viability of unaccompanied trailer operations.IE unaccompanied trailers can then also have a 20ft container load adding to the revenue.Adding quota permits for international freight movements to that and getting rid of road fuel duty would be a game changer.As I said all that could be signed off within a week and certainly delivered in less than a year.
As soon as this is over we will go back to being inconvenient to the car driving public & filthy peasants to homeowners.
Enjoy the empty roads as that is our reward for working through this nothing more.
robroy:
UKtramp:
I actually watched the question time today and the answers given was that all motorway services were open to hgv drivers with as many facilities made available as possible. Also it was recognised that drivers were key workers and a complete rethink of our system on workers who we rely on would be under review. Although a pretty much standard and expected answer at least it looks promising for the future. I genuinely believe the outlook for the haulage industry will change in the next couple of years and for the better. Incoming expected.I also saw it, a standard Commons type answer, nothing more than paying lip service to the question.
He will have gone home after the session and never give it a second thought again…ever.I don’t believe UKt that you could be as naive as to actually think, and state, that anything will even change for us, let alone improve, when all this crap is over.
People (and especially MPs) have very short memories.
I got in my MP’s ear about a lorry parking issue a few years ago. Whilst admittedly he was unable to influence the result, he did get on to the council, demanded and got a reply and came back to me, all within a couple of weeks. Perhaps if more people did the same instead of just forever whining that things are never going to change, they might be pleasantly surprised.
In this case, I took the trouble to send an e-mail to the MP who asked the original question (David Mundell, MP for Dumfriessshire) thanking him on behalf of UK lorry drivers for raising the issue. Call it toadying if you like, I couldn’t give a toss; but MP’s are human too and like the rest of us I’m sure they appreciate people noticing that they’ve made the effort. Simply lambasting them for doing nowt is unlikely to achieve a result, any more than one of us works harder if the boss ■■■■■■■■ us instead of just asking politely.
I agree, the MP who actually took the time to ask the question does deserve credit for it,.and no it ain’t ‘toadying’, it’s good manners showing an appreciation.
It’s a pity a few more MPs did not sit up (and speak up) and take notice of our chronic overnight parking situation for example, for a start, instead of just conveniently ignoring it year after year, and just leaving us to put up with, and try to deal with the whole crap situation.
robroy:
I agree, the MP who actually took the time to ask the question does deserve credit for it,.and no it ain’t ‘toadying’, it’s good manners showing an appreciation.
It’s a pity a few more MPs did not sit up (and speak up) and take notice of our chronic overnight parking situation for example, for a start, instead of just conveniently ignoring it year after year, and just leaving us to put up with, and try to deal with the whole crap situation.
Perhaps if more of us highlighted it by direct contact (I consider Change and 38 degrees petitions a waste of time) we might gather enough groundswell. It’s an old cliche I know, but we’re all voters.
Sidevalve:
UKtramp:
I actually watched the question time today and the answers given was that all motorway services were open to hgv drivers with as many facilities made available as possible. Also it was recognised that drivers were key workers and a complete rethink of our system on workers who we rely on would be under review. Although a pretty much standard and expected answer at least it looks promising for the future. I genuinely believe the outlook for the haulage industry will change in the next couple of years and for the better. Incoming expected.I’ve just watched it and agree with you.
Cynics will be disappointed to find that it was a Scottish Conservative MP who raised the question. Where’s the union-sponsored Labour MP’s who purport to be looking after workers’ interests when you need them?
Labour stopped worrying about the working class about 20 years ago when it became the party of the liberal middle classes for London
I think that a lot of drivers have seen over the years, the industry being brought to its knees, the influx of foreign drivers, wages no better than the warehouse staff loading and unloading their trailers, poor working conditions, I could go on. This then ends all hope of anything getting better. Although thoroughly understandable to have no faith things could improve. if drivers like side valve can take the time to write to an MP in order to change things then that is the first steps to things changing. MP’s are looking for brownie points at the moment and they are listening. Can anyone else be bothered to badger their own MP’s and have their voices heard or is it best to simply let sleeping dogs lye and do nothing. Sure as eggs are eggs nothing will change with that attitude. My money is on the things will change, they simply have to. Look around and see, nothing can remain or be the same again. The wind of change is certainly coming.
Mazzer2:
Labour stopped worrying about the working class about 20 years ago when it became the party of the liberal middle classes for London
+1