Government’s plan to extend lorry driver hours is ‘ineffective’ and ‘dangerous’, warns union

Government’s latest plan to extend lorry driver hours will not solve the problem and is in fact dangerous, trade union Unite has warned.

Unite, which represents tens of thousands of HGV drivers, on Wednesday (5) reacted with dismay to the news that the government is keen on further relaxing regulations governing how long lorry drivers can work.

“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,” Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said.

“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.”

The government is currently undertaking a snap consultation exercise on extending the relaxation on the driving regulations from this Sunday (9) for a further four weeks 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 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.