how does this work? again, its something i have never been involved in or experienced in any way but there are rumours about the latest pay offer being rejected and our union may be taking this route. i am not in the union and i dont even know who the rep is or which union we have. will the strike apply to all our drivers or only those who are in the union? if the non union drivers are not involved, what can we expect?
Do a search of the archive for “strike” and you’ll find all you need.
If most of the drivers are in the union then join it, they have to give exel a certain amount of days notice that they are going to strike, non union people will be able to do nothing really as if you tried to go to work and drive out on a run, you wouldnt be very popular!
If it got to the point of them telling exel they are giving them notice to strike, then they will more than likely go back to the pay talks.
thats what i was afraid of. i have heard there is a meeting tomorrow afternoon but i have no idea who is involved. all i know is that the 2.26% pay rise has been rejected. if they do strike, i wont be going to work. i stick by drivers and if it costs me my job, so be it. my loyalties are 100% with my colleagues whether they are working at my workplace or on these websites.
If there is a strong union presence at your place, then i suggest you join it.
Especially as you are wanting to challenge them over your pay as class 2 when you are class1 anyway. id imagine its the rmt union.
I will more than likely be down your place tipping this week, so ill look out.
i dont even know who our rep is yet. i have been asking but i keep getting sent from one person to the next. when i applied for the council job last year, their union rep was all over me for weeks. its exactly the opposite here. the problem is, i have no faith in unions as i dont see what they have to offer me for my cash. thats a big problem for someone of my nationality 
Seems like this strike business is quite common to Exel then.
We just avoided it on Friday, but only by 15 votes. We’ve been given 4%, but a lot aren’t happy with that.
I am also aware of at at least one other Exel site that could be going down the strike path.
Reckon they’re just tight. In every advert, press bulletin - any communication they produce, the first thing they brag about is turnover and profit. 
scanny77:
thats what i was afraid of. i have heard there is a meeting tomorrow afternoon but i have no idea who is involved. all i know is that the 2.26% pay rise has been rejected. if they do strike, i wont be going to work. i stick by drivers and if it costs me my job, so be it. my loyalties are 100% with my colleagues whether they are working at my workplace or on these websites.
So why dont you join the union
flying_fenman:
Seems like this strike business is quite common to Exel then.We just avoided it on Friday, but only by 15 votes. We’ve been given 4%, but a lot aren’t happy with that.
I am also aware of at at least one other Exel site that could be going down the strike path.
Reckon they’re just tight. In every advert, press bulletin - any communication they produce, the first thing they brag about is turnover and profit.
Exel is a penny pinching firm when it comes to pay rises, be careful of what they promise and then deliver 
flying_fenman:
Reckon they’re just tight. In every advert, press bulletin - any communication they produce, the first thing they brag about is turnover and profit.
Would that be staff turnover■■? Making promises and not keeping them is a very common occurance, ignoring safe systems of work is expected in the name of “customer service” and flexibility is your obligation even if this is against the law. For those worried about the last comment there was a dispute at my depot this week about when the 30 minute break was required under RTD and one of the team leaders and a complience manager was under the impression that you could put of the 6 hour break until 9 hours and take 45 minutes then. How they must have felt when the FTA told them otherwise? 
scanny77:
thats what i was afraid of. i have heard there is a meeting tomorrow afternoon but i have no idea who is involved. all i know is that the 2.26% pay rise has been rejected. if they do strike, i wont be going to work. i stick by drivers and if it costs me my job, so be it. my loyalties are 100% with my colleagues whether they are working at my workplace or on these websites.
Well worth joing the union then, as i understand it. If you’re taking part in official strike action as part of a union. Then they cant sack you for doing it, or atleast it’s very difficult to without government backing.
I think you would also receive strike pay, a pittance but enough to keep food on the table sort of thing.
If you’re not a union member and you refuse to work because you’re colleages are on strike then they can i think sack you for gross misconduct on the grounds you’re refusing to do your job.
If you know which union it is you can probably join them directly via the unions website.
My guess is it could be any one of the following;
USDAW
RMT
TG&WU
GMB
Well worth joing the union then, as i understand it. If you’re taking part in official strike action as part of a union. Then they cant sack you for doing it, or atleast it’s very difficult to without government backing.
I think you would also receive strike pay, a pittance but enough to keep food on the table sort of thing.If you’re not a union member and you refuse to work because you’re colleages are on strike then they can i think sack you for gross misconduct on the grounds you’re refusing to do your job.
So you are saying we are forced to join a union because the majority of the workforce joined.
Isnt that what used to be known as a closed shop?
Unions will not help you, to feed your family, or get you another job when that one has been taken over by another multinational
my mate is starting at the same time as me tomorrow so i will ask him what the score is. i wont fork out a tenner a month for nothing. i want something for my money. i have heard in these very forums that union have turned their backs on drivers when they needed help so i dont see why i should pay for something that i will not get. i may be better doing what i have always done and go it alone. look at the RHA. from what i have seen, most drivers have lost faith in them too. all they can do is write to a magazine to complain in response to drivers complaining about them. instead of defending themselves with answers and putting our minds at rest, they are retaliating which to me is very unprofessional behaviour for an organisation like them. they exist to fight for us yet all they can do is whinge about our worries regarding them. my money is better spent elsewhere
dennisw1:
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My guess is it could be any one of the following;
USDAW
RMT
TG&WU
GMB
Or, if you are very lucky - URTU, the only one exclusively for road distribution staff. All the others you have to stand in line behind shopkeepers, seafarers, streetsweepers, and, errr, baggage handlers 
.
Seriously though, nearly 3 years after retiring I still pay my little bit towards URTU. It’s not just for wages. For road haulage workers in particular, standing alone and assailed on all sides by police, VOSA, customs, etc., they are a good insurance policy when you need sticking up for.
Salut, David.
Wheel Nut:
Well worth joing the union then, as i understand it. If you’re taking part in official strike action as part of a union. Then they cant sack you for doing it, or atleast it’s very difficult to without government backing.
I think you would also receive strike pay, a pittance but enough to keep food on the table sort of thing.If you’re not a union member and you refuse to work because you’re colleages are on strike then they can i think sack you for gross misconduct on the grounds you’re refusing to do your job.
So you are saying we are forced to join a union because the majority of the workforce joined.
Isnt that what used to be known as a closed shop?
Unions will not help you, to feed your family, or get you another job when that one has been taken over by another multinational
No i’m not saying youre forced to, but as far as strike action is concerned you have more protection in law if you decide not to work if you’re a union member.
I think how it works is if you take part in strike action and you;re not a union member then you’re not offically on strike so you’re employer can sack you. If you take part and you are a union member then providing it’s an official strike they’re not allowed to sack you.
But yes some unions are just a waste of space. Take the GMB and DHL at the moment. They recently called out many DHL red (the original DHL) depots on strike over the pay offer, however they’ve said or done nothing about the pay in DHL blue (former securicor omega) who get paid less for the same job.
Regardless of how poor the union is though being a member affords you a few extra rights in law. If you’re thinking about supporting strike action it’s worth joing up even if only for a couple of months until it blows over.
thanks guys but it was a waste of time. it is only affecting our bulk drivers. the rest of us are on our own. surprise surprise 
i have always said that unions are and have always been a waste of space…there needs to be another union…for drivers…run by drivers…somebody who understands the ins and outs of the transport industry…not some college kid with an ology…or some suit with a degree who understands jack ■■■■■ about a drivers way of life…and it needs at least 85% of the transport drivers workforce in order to make our presence felt…some thing that will never happen…as for Exel…a part of the giant Transport Development Group…they have cut the rates…undercutting everyone else to get the job or contract…and left themselves in a position that they have very little left in the kitty with which to increase their workforce wages…only thinking of the shareholders profit…bit like the boss who tells everyone theres no money to increase the wages…and yet drives the latest model car…and orders the latest trucks to add to his fleet…dont believe them…they deserve all the contempt they get…drivers have had enough of working for a pittance…beeing away all week…and obviously including the night out money as part of their wages…itself obscene…and are not only leaving the industry…but also not attracting new recruits…and it serves them right…only thing left is for the transport companies to employ either cheap foreign labour…even if it means putting them on the same wages…so long as they dont have to increase them…thereby keeping the same profit margins as before…which is their main aim…maintaining profits…but its getting to a situation where the profit margin will not be enough to 1.maintain the present fleet to a legal standard. 2. modernise the fleet or increase it.
The present situation has been on the cards for a number of years…and its now a very worrying concern for transport companies…but have no fear…the eastern bloc is expanding into the E.U…so the shortage of drivers…and lack of profits will soon be rectified…take care.
i have heard of a new union type body starting up but i dont know how to contact them. i have seen them mentioned in the industry media but no contact details. i think it started off with 1 guy fighting his corner and it escalated when his friends asked for his help with their problems. lets hope they do get somewhere and expand nationally
truckyboy:
i have always said that unions are and have always been a waste of space…there needs to be another union…for drivers…run by drivers…somebody who understands the ins and outs of the transport industry…
Don’t you think URTU fits that bill Bob?
You’d never find them taking the side of dockers against drivers, but it did happen in the past with the T&G.
Mind the traffic in London White Van Man
Salut, David.