'Roadfreight strike would be illegal'- Alistoun

THREATS OF a national transport strike have been reported in the press, as the annual bargaining council meeting between the transport industry's employers and the unions takes place.
Everything is up for negotiation at this time of the year, and the usual sides are being taken.
One union demand is for a 13th cheque, based on 75% of the take-home pay of each employee. Add to that a 12% across-the-board wage increase demand.
Opposed to that is a no from the employer's body on that 13th cheque, and a counter-proposal for a 10% maximum increase.
But the strike, according to Mike Alistoun of the RFA (Road Freight Association), seems to be more related
to the control of the provident fund issue.
The workers' demand is for the provident fund to be controlled by the unions.
But, said Alistoun, we said it's half our money, and half that of the employees. We want a say in the management of the fund.
It's not really a matter that's up for discussion anyway. The whole structure of the fund is part of the Bargaining Council Agreement, according to the employers - and, as such, would need a two-thirds majority to push through the necessary change to the constitution. But it's a 50-50 split, said Alistoun, so that's not likely to happen.
The whole issue has gone up for arbitration with a decision to be made whether the fund falls under the agreement, or not.
Meantime, striking over the provident fund is illegal, according to Alistoun. They (the unions) have to remove the provident fund issue from the table before they can call for a strike. They can't go on strike over something that is under arbitration.
The whole thing could just be a bit of bicep flexing by the unions anyway.
The news reports of threats of industrial action haven't been followed by any of the other official steps in the prelude to a strike, according to Alistoun. We have to be given 48 hours notice prior to a strike, he said. And there has been no sign of that happening yet.