Unite, the UK’s leading union, which represents tens of thousands
of HGV drivers, has reacted with dismay to the news that the
government is intent on further relaxing regulations governing
how long lorry drivers can work.
The government is currently undertaking a snap consultation
exercise on extending the relaxation on the driving regulations
from this Sunday (9 January) for a further four weeks until 6
February, as a result of the omicron variant and an increase in
sickness absence.
The government has continually been operating a relaxation of the
driving hour regulations since July last year, due to a chronic
shortage of drivers and the effect of the pandemic. Since the
Covid pandemic began in March 2020, the regulations have been
relaxed for the majority of the time.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “The government is
increasingly resembling a one trick pony when it comes to dealing
with lorry driver shortages and is intent on pursuing a policy
which has no regard for the health of drivers’ and the safety of
road users.
“Rather than constantly relaxing driving regulations, the
government needs to finally begin to address the issues of long
hours, excessive and irregular shift patterns and the lack of
welfare and parking facilities that has created the driver
shortage crisis in the first place.
“Unite is entirely dedicated to defending the jobs, pay and
conditions of our members and we will fully support any member
who believes that working excessive hours is damaging their
health or placing themselves or others in danger.”
Unite has discovered via a Freedom of Information request that
the government has failed to undertake an impact assessment on
the effect of the extended hours on drivers’ health and road
users safety, as it is a ‘temporary measure’.
The FOI reply confirmed: “An impact assessment is not
required for regulations that have effect for less than 12
months. None of the relaxations to the lorry drivers’ hours
regulations made since March 2020 has been for more than 12
months in duration and so no impact assessments have been done.”
When Unite gave evidence to the transport select committee in
November last year, the union revealed that the relaxation of
driver hours was becoming increasingly ineffective, with just 154
companies having applied (let alone implemented) the latest
relaxation, a tiny percentage compared to the thousands of
operators in the sector.
Under the government’s
relaxation, drivers can drive for up to 11 hours a day (compared
to the normal maximum of 10 hours) and a total of 99 hours a
fortnight (previously 90) with rest periods also reduced.
Unite national officer for road haulage Adrian Jones
said: “Constantly relaxing driving regulations is both
dangerous and increasingly ineffective.
“Hauliers are increasingly not applying to utilise the relaxation
on driving hours, as drivers are exhausted, they realise it is
not safe and their workers will leave if it is implemented.
“The government’s failure to undertake an impact assessment on
relaxing the driver regulations, while pretending it is a
temporary measure, is a dereliction of leadership and
demonstrates that it is pretending that forcing workers to drive
for longer is risk free.”
Unite has strongly argued that the extended driving hours is
increasing the levels of fatigue experienced by drivers and the
cumulative effect of this could have potentially tragic
consequences.
It is estimated that 600 drivers leave the industry every week
and the further relaxation on driving hours is going to make a
bad situation even worse.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
Longer lorry driver hours
dangerous and fail to address labour shortages, warns Unite
