Kirklees Council facing gritting crisis as drivers refuse to work

Nov 2 2009 by Nick Lavigueur, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

A GRITTING dispute has hit Huddersfield.

Fears over road safety are rising after all of Kirklees Council’s gritter drivers said they would not be working this winter.

Around 60 of the council’s highways workers are normally given the opportunity to put their name down for the gritting rota.

But Unison chief Paul Holmes revealed none would be signing up this year following the introduction of a new pay policy.

The council’s new standby policy means that drivers would only be paid from the minute they begin gritting.

They would not be paid for preparing the wagons or driving to remote gritting locations.

He said that previously, workers could volunteer to go on standby and would then be paid from the moment they were called into action.

With the 24-week gritting season beginning this week, the decision could leave thousands of miles of Kirklees roads completely exposed to snow and ice.

Mr Holmes said: “The council have got no cover at the moment.

“Pest control workers get paid from the moment they set off, but not gritters.

“If a gritter driver gets a call at 3am and then has to travel to the depot at Honley and then drive to Outlane it could be up to an hour before he starts gritting, maybe longer.