6


Issue4 2013


///NEWS


Put the brakes on new road cabotage laws, urges union


The European Transport Workers’ Federation mounted a European action day on 14 May to try and persuade the European Commission to drop plans to further free up road cabotage. The ETF says that, three years into the adoption of the current road cabotage rules, the sector is rife with ‘social dumping’ and the widespread posting abroad of drivers from low-cost member states. The Commission is expected


to launch a proposal in 2013 to remove the last remaining cabotage restrictions. However, claims ETF, “Europe is divided by huge disparities in terms of wages and working


conditions” with Eastern European drivers being


paid up to ten times less than their colleagues from the more developed countries. Under the rules that came into


force in May 2010, operators can carry out three journeys within a seven-day period in the domestic market of another EU Member. According to the union, “the rules were an indication that law makers acknowledged the disparities in social and fiscal conditions in the EU 27, and intended to limit the risk for further social dumping and unfair competition in the sector. “However, in the past three


years the road cabotage rules failed to be properly applied and controlled by the EU Member States, while the European


Commission has constantly promoted a flexible interpretation of these rules,” commented ETF political secretary, Cristina Tilling. “This, combined with a lack of interest to enforce EU social and labour laws in road transport such as the posting of workers and the Rome I Regulation, led to a massive spread of social dumping practices from international to domestic transport by road.” The result she says, is that is widespread


cabotage


domestic road transport vehicles and drivers


in with registered


in Member States with low fiscal, social and labour conditions, “mostly via the illegal letter box company system.”


Brussels takes a fresh look at truck dimensions


The European Commission proposed new rules on truck weights and dimensions on 15 April,


border operation of


including allowing cross- 60-tonne


vehicles. The current limit for trucks in international transport, in Directive 96/53/EC, is 18.75 metres and 40 tonnes, limits which are seen as inhibiting the use of new technology or aerodynamic


farings, which frequently add weight and increase length. Currently, the Directive only


permits national circulation of 60-tonne trucks which are currently allowed in Denmark, Sweden and Finland. However, the new version of the directive would include a new legal interpretation that would allow cross-border operation of the larger vehicles


between two member states that allow them. However, the move is likely


to run into opposition from environmental and rail groups, which see cross-border operation of the larger vehicles as a Trojan Horse that could ultimately see countries such as the UK compelled to allow the larger weight trucks on their roads.


China grapples with logistics skill shortage


China is facing a massive shortage of logistics skills, said the vice- president of the country’s main logistics body on a visit to the UK. Ren Haoxiang, vice president of the China Federation of Logistics & Purchasing (CFLP) explained that there was an acute lack of people with practical and operational skills across the logistics chain such as drivers and warehousemen. Ambitious Chinese parents


tend to push their children into university education in the belief that they will gain better-paid careers. But it is university graduates who are struggling to find jobs at the moment, while graduates from the middle education tier with vocational qualifications often walk straight into jobs. Ren Haoxiang,


together with


a delegation of 20 logistics and educational officials


from China


was on a fact-finding mission to the UK hosted by Skills for Logistics, The British Council and CFLP following which the three bodies signed a Memorandum of Understanding that will see the three parties co- operating on areas such as logistics talent cultivation, standardisation and vocational education. They will establish an industry-


led platform for Sino-UK co- operation on modern logistics


vocational education to facilitate communication and co-operation between employers, education and training institutions and central government in the two countries. SfL and CFLP will collaborate to develop national occupational standards for the Chinese logistics sector as the first step in a wider collaboration on joint curricula and qualifications. “This is a big opportunity for the


UK to be able to train the trainers for China,” explained SfL CEO, Dr Mick Jackson. As part of their UK tour, the


Chinese delegation visited Unipart Logistics’ Cowley, Oxford operation.


The latter’s sales director, Paul Brooks, who has experience of the company’s operations in China, said that trying to fill skilled positions in the industry was a constant battle. “Our HR teams are constantly going to job fairs (the main channel to jobs in China where the recruitment and labour hire industries are in their infancy) and overfill positions by 10-20% - but supply still doesn’t keep up with demand.” Chinese employees are frequent


job-hoppers and it is common to switch employers without giving notice, if another company offers slightly higher wages.


Chinese logistics in figures:


The Chinese logistics sector is worth 9.4 trillion renminbi (£995 billion) and accounts for 18% of China’s total GDP.


In 2011, there were 105,071 people studying logistics related majors in Chinese universities.


In 2011, there were 242,493 people studying logistics related majors in tertiary vocational colleges (18+).


In 2011, there were 90,113 people studying logistics related majors in secondary vocational colleges (15-18).


Between 2001 and 2011, more than 2.5 million people have received logistics qualifications.


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