Lorry drivers to go on strike

Our fridge is full of bottled water, I always drink from the tap. But who am I to argue.
Very green! Since water is very good at holding its temperature, keeping bottles of water in your fridge will help it to maintain an even temperature when you have less in your fridge, which means it will use less energy and cost you less.
 
Very green! Since water is very good at holding its temperature, keeping bottles of water in your fridge will help it to maintain an even temperature when you have less in your fridge, which means it will use less energy and cost you less.
There is always a bright side of life.
 
Very green! Since water is very good at holding its temperature, keeping bottles of water in your fridge will help it to maintain an even temperature when you have less in your fridge, which means it will use less energy and cost you less.
Assuming the bottles aren't plastic of course.
 
Well, there have been a couple. The reason I haven’t put forward any solutions is because you’ve chosen to put up the straw man that I was arguing against wage rises so that my Waitrose shopping wouldn’t go up which showed two things. Firstly a fundamental lack of understanding of the post and secondly an desire to post something offensive. When those two things changes I’m more than happy to enter into a discussion about the complexity of solution versus your simple ‘raise wages or lower the cost of living’ nonsense.

Here is the first:


Now you can either answer it or just retract what you said and admit you didn’t quite understand the point being made. I don’t mind which.
Retract what I said? Sorry, forgot you were admin.
The UK government has ran the country on the cheap for decades. Failing to legislate for proper wages and conditions, only applying H&S law after being dragged kicking and screaming through the courts. Remember Camerons mantra of "I want more for less".
I know of 60 year old apprentices, 60 years old FFS, not the much maligned YTS scheme of yesteryear, as some people have said on here, YTS was good for them, I am glad for you but I remember it as a cheap way of of exploiting young workers purely to fiddle the unemployment figures, nothing else. I remember my brother working a full week for an extra tenner on top of his dole, and if he didn't work satisfactory his dole was stopped. Today we have zero hours jobs, part time this, temporary that, fixed term contracts, all on **** poor wages, Job insecurity and people unable to plan for the future because there is no future when working these conditions.
In the 90's I attended one of my many job interviews. What do you think the first question was? It was not. "Why do you want this position?" or, "What makes you suitable for this role" , or even " What can you bring to this company?" No, it was none of them. The very first question was, "What is the lowest you will work for?" And that epitomises how our country has been ran since 1979.
Workers have had the Tory foot on their necks since then.
HGV drivers have to p!ss, sh1t, eat and sleep in their cabs, very few toilet facilities, even less chance to have a shower, spoken to like crap, being made to wait to be unloaded/loaded making them late for their next drop/pick up. Being away from home 6 days a week, working against the clock. Being sat down for most of the day with little chance of decent excercise, eating fast food because mealtimes are inadequate. This has an effect on their health making them susceptible to high blood pressure/heart problems. Money is only part of the issue.
Now they are standing up for themselves and I say good look to them

Trug gets it.

Simple question Adi. Are you for or against a wage rise for lorry drivers even if that increases the price of what you buy marginally?
 
Retract what I said? Sorry, forgot you were admin.


Trug gets it.

Simple question Adi. Are you for or against a wage rise for lorry drivers even if that increases the price of what you buy marginally?

I'm not admin, I am simply demonstrating the error of your approach and your absence of understanding.

You misunderstood my post, doubled down on it with the offensive remarks and Waitrose comedy gold and you now continue your complete failure to understand, seemingly wearing it as a badge of honour.

Now, I understand why you don't want to answer my questions (it will make you look foolish) but I have no problem answering yours since that particular questions has already been asked and answered on this very thread. I am absolutely in favour of wages going up. That is generally a good thing and your misunderstanding led you to the conclusion that I was against it, despite me trying to help you understand. It isn't a silver bullet though and it isn't without consequence. That's not how economies work. Whilst prices going up won't affect me in the slightest thankfully, it will affect millions of other people badly and so you can't simply address the problem with wage rises. It won't work to solve the problem being discussed and it inadvertently causes problems elsewhere, as I've also already said.

But hey, just increase wages or decrease the cost of living. That's the answer, right?
 
Last edited:
In pc world last night and talking to one of their assistant managers and he said they’re offering £40k for 4 o 4 off shifts right now with accelerated training…
 
Retract what I said? Sorry, forgot you were admin.


Trug gets it.

Simple question Adi. Are you for or against a wage rise for lorry drivers even if that increases the price of what you buy marginally?
It's a simple question but it's incorrect. As it increases the price of what EVERYONE has to buy. Including the Lorry drivers themselves. You seem to be ignoring this fact.
 
No, read it again.
Ah read it again.

Worries about shortages in the work force? A solution to that would for example fund training for those currently on job seekers allowance or making the job more attractive for this leaving school or college.
 
Ah read it again.

Worries about shortages in the work force? A solution to that would for example fund training for those currently on job seekers allowance or making the job more attractive for this leaving school or college.

Whilst I recognise you’re moving the goalposts, that won’t work either:

(i) you have to pass a medical test to become an HGV driver. There is a backlog of medical tests in the NHS;

(ii) you have to take a HGV test, there is a backlog of DVSA applications as there aren’t enough examiners;

(iii) you need to be over 21 and our unemployment rate is low meaning that the number of people in the right age bracket is too low.

There simply isn’t enough people to do all the jobs that we need to do and no amount of training or wage rises will correct that problem.

I’m not sure you’ve thought this through!
 
Last edited:
In what bizarre world will that help the working classes? You do realise that when a nation gets poorer, it ain't the ruling classes that suffer. In fact, as we are seeing, they benefit. To damage your country and expect to see benefits from that damage is the most bizarre and thoughtless argument for brexit.
When a nation gets poorer, pretty much everyone suffers as a consequence. As you said, the wealthy people may be better insulated against economic uncertainty, but that doesn't mean they get wealthier. Poor people may get poorer quicker, but, in reality, nobody benefits from economic downturns.
 
When a nation gets poorer, pretty much everyone suffers as a consequence. As you said, the wealthy people may be better insulated against economic uncertainty, but that doesn't mean they get wealthier. Poor people may get poorer quicker, but, in reality, nobody benefits from economic downturns.

Hmmmm. That’s demonstrably not true. The last economic crash followed by austerity sucked wealth from the 99% and was literally used as a heist. This pandemic and economic downturn has been used in exactly the same way.
 
Im fu
Whilst I recognise you’re moving the goalposts, that won’t work either:

(i) you have to pass a medical test to become an HGV driver. There is a backlog of medical tests in the NHS;

(ii) you have to take a HGV test, there is a backlog of DVSA applications as there aren’t enough examiners;

(iii) you need to be over 21 and our unemployment rate is low meaning that the number of people in the right age bracket is too low.

There simply isn’t enough people to do all the jobs that we need to do and no amount of training or wage rises will correct that problem.

I’m not sure you’ve thought this through!
I'm fully aware of what it takes to be become a HGV driver. My dad was one for over 35 years. You also don't need to take a medical test through the NHS, they can be done privately.
 
Dangerous game increasing wages when the trade is in massive demand, and there's no way of getting more experienced supply, in the short term (well there is supply, but Tories don't want it as there would be "leaver" meltdown). Then when we do get supply, the wages won't go back down. It seems inevitable mind, but all it will end up with is a bidding war for drivers, it's a bit like what happens with construction workers/ labourers etc.

But is the issue wages, or is it conditions? Do they want a bribe to put up with the conditions, or do they actually want better conditions and the same pay?

Were the drivers raising these concerns to the same degree a couple of years ago, or back in 2015 before the vote? Seems like some are taking advantage of the current situation, hard to argue against it, based on conditions.

Seemingly average wages for drivers are 30-40k, for 5 days of driving (9 hours is the daily limit), after spending about 5k on training. That's not so bad if you can put up with the living away, but they shouldn't have to deal with terrible conditions. But compare that to a nurse or teacher or whatever, on 30k, after doing a 3 year degree and being 50k in the red, maybe they should go on strike too?

We need to fix the problem of what is causing the demand, just paying more won't solve that, the demand will still be there, so wages could just keep going up and up. All it will do is increase inflation, the cost will get passed onto the public/ business and make the UK further less competitive than the EU, and wages of everyone else won't outdo this. You can bet your ass that transport companies and Tesco won't suffer, as they will just apply the same margin, but 20% of 1m is better than 20% of 500k etc (for them), it's not for the buyer of the food, fuel, construction materials or houses though.

The demand was there pre-pandemic, the Tories knew it, they've been in power 11 years, and they've done nowt about it, except made it harder and less lucrative for EU workers to do it, they're stood on the hosepipe and now whinging that they have no water.

Yes, driving a wagon is not a nice job (albeit there are worse, harder labour, on less pay), and they should certainly get better working conditions (we trail the EU in this respect), but kipping in the cab has been part of the job forever. I imagine it's terrible doing that for 40 years mind! The transport companies could get forced to make conditions better, as in enabling the drivers to use the facilities at truck stops, and let drivers divert to use them etc, but all this will do is make the routes take longer, which will increase the effective demand/ shortage of drivers.

A better fix would be the UK investing in some cheap, safe, secure, reliable, clean truck stops, especially along the major routes and motorways, as what we have at the minute is a joke. They need to relax planning on lorry parks, and put caps on what the drivers/ companies get charged at such places. This should help the guys who have to sleep out often, in rough locations, which is the worst part of the job, I expect.

Years ago, once Brexit was known, a competent government would have started a program for free licences, or training/licence fees rebated over 5-10 years etc.
 
Im fu

I'm fully aware of what it takes to be become a HGV driver. My dad was one for over 35 years. You also don't need to take a medical test through the NHS, they can be done privately.

Ok well we’ve solved one small part of your solution that isn’t a solution by, it seems, paying for private testing. Presumably the employer rather than the individual pays that do they?
 
Ok well we’ve solved one small part of your solution that isn’t a solution by, it seems, paying for private testing. Presumably the employer rather than the individual pays that do they?
Depends what company you work for. My dad always had his paid for.

Why isn't it a solution? Put people out of work through training to become employed. What's so wrong about that?
 
Depends what company you work for. My dad always had his paid for.

Why isn't it a solution? Put people out of work through training to become employed. What's so wrong about that?

Erm, the stuff I’ve already written!
 
(y) It is very similar to the nurse shortages, worsening conditions and pay. I guess in the medical profession some have gone juts because of the pandemic and the effect it has had on their mental health, but it was a slowly worsening situation.

Labour shortages will have to be filled, so I would guess a way will be found, perhaps get all the blind folks to become hgv drivers and electricians. Get their lazy asses back to work. I don't know how they will do this but the only 2 ways I can see is immigration through special dispensations or rejoining the SM and CU.

The problem with the second solution is it is a u-turn of gigantic proportions and will probably see the end of this government, specifically, and the tories generally. Upping immigration through the back door can be spun and I would assume that is the way they will go, albeit they have refused to do this so far putting the responsibility back on business' to "discover the opportunities of brexit and sort out the manpower problem.

If they allow thousands of business' to go under and shrink our economy to suite the population it won't look good.
Cant disagree.
They have "back up" in uniform and riot gear / control, ready if it becomes "messy"....
Like you infer: it could be a sea-change in British politics [thank goodness].
 
When a nation gets poorer, pretty much everyone suffers as a consequence. As you said, the wealthy people may be better insulated against economic uncertainty, but that doesn't mean they get wealthier. Poor people may get poorer quicker, but, in reality, nobody benefits from economic downturns.
If you are corrupt enough you can take advantage of a weakened nation, but I take your point. Brexit is going to make us all suffer. Anyone who was already struggling though, is going to have a real hard time
 
A bit left field, but a lorry caught fire in Beverley last night, at least 7 loud explosions could be heard very clearly just after midnight close to Aldi.
Early reports this morning say that the driver escaped unhurt, although not officially confirmed. That’s another one off the road.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top