Enter the "spy in the cab" by ALAN

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Restaurant strike that the plant was to be shut down on grounds that the subsidising of high fuel costs made the plant unprofitable.

The closure will be a disaster for the surrounding area, already suffering high levels of unemployment and many of the plant's 890 workers had only recently moved to Invergordon from other parts of Scotland to escape unemployment in their home areas.

There is no way in which THE tachograph became compulsory on January Ist. It represents a serious attack on the working conditions, and in many cases the wages, of road haulage workers.

It was enforced under the Trealy of Rome, bur Britain's employers were very willing. They will mostly take full advantage of what is in every sense a 'spy in the cab' Ostensibly it is designed to replace the existing driver's logbook and enforce regulations on drivers" bonus, which remain unchanged at a maximum of 8 hours' actual driving and 3 hours' working time in any 24 hours.

In reality, it goes very much further. The tachograph is a sophisticated instrument, which has created a multi-million pound business for the three manufacturers who supply the British market, Smiths, Veeder-Root, and Lucas. They affect all vehicles in excess of 3.5 tonnes and record speed, distance, driving time, other work, breaks and daily rest periods. It even records idle running, and driving in reverse.

A driver is required by law to operate the tachograph correctly. Even to fail to change the mode from driving to work time or to breaks is an offence.

Drivers are subject to spot checks and must be in possession of the disc for the previous day, as well as the one in the instrument.

Initial TGWU verbal opposition to the introduction of the tachograph collapsed long ago. A ballot was held of the RTC Group a year ago, before many of the drivers had realised the full implications. Following a JUDGING by the prices on the menu at Tutton's you wouldn't think the proprietors would have much trouble getting together enough money to pay their workers more than £1.40 an hour. According to the management, this amount is quite beyond their pockets and they decided last July to reduce the rate to £1.10.

When the staff objected to this the management generously offered to take charge of the tips previously shared out by the waiting staff, and give both waiting staff and non-waiting staff another 20p an hour out of this money.

Staff involved in negotiations to prevent the wage reductions were threatened with the sack. All the people on night shift walked out in support and were themselves promptly sacked. At this, all the workers came out and they have been on strike since 15th December. trol, something which has met with negligible success.

Even a policy for additional payment for use of the instrument was dropped at national level. In recent weeks a number of deals on additional payment have been negotiated at local level, without much support from the TGWU.

At the moment support for the strike is strong from other trade unionists. Other T&G members are refusing to deliver supplies and NUPE refuse collectors have also given their support.

Negotiations are also currently taking place through ACAS. So far management have conceded the reinstatement of all but one worker, to whom they have offered three months redundancy pay. They still want to impose a written agreement bringing wages down to the lower rate of £1.10 an hour with the pooled tip system. They've already advertised for casual staff at the higher rate - so much for their financial strong feting o thee picket line that the workers can win the right to negotiate their wages.

LINDA GREENE