Our representatives will be happy to fight for your rights including workplace representation from an official should the need arise.

Right to be accompanied

Workers have a statutory right (Employment Relations Act 1999 section 10) to be accompanied by a companion in disciplinary, grievance and appeal hearings.

The chosen companion may be a fellow worker, a trade union representative, or an official employed by a trade union. A trade union
representative who is not an employed official must have been certified by their union as being competent to accompany a worker. The union of choice does not need to have a recognition agreement with the employer for these types of meetings.

The companion should be allowed to address the hearing to put and sum up the workers case, respond on behalf of the worker to any views expressed at the meeting and confer with the worker during the hearing. The companion does not, however, have the right to answer questions on the worker’s behalf, address the hearing if the worker does not wish it or prevent the employer from explaining their case.

Direct discrimination is when an employer blatantly treats people differently because of their race. This can include advertising jobs that are only for people of a certain race or paying one race more than others for doing the same job. This is not allowed and needs to be stopped as soon as it becomes an issue.

This type of discrimination is not quite so blunt but it includes rules or practices that put you at a disadvantage in the workplace because of your race. So it may be that your employer institutes a new dress code, for no particular reason such as health and safety, which discriminates against people from certain ethnic backgrounds. They may try to talk their way out of it and say it isn’t racist but if it puts you at a disadvantage because of your ethnicity, then it is. Rest assured, the Driver & General Union will be pleased to assist if you need any clarification.

The Driver & General union fights racism and plays a pivotal role in winning equality in the workplace. The union believes that the more members stand up against racism the more likely we will be able to instigate positive change. Every worker is entitled to be treated with fairness, dignity and respect.

Do you feel that you are working hard but for little recognition? The Driver & General Union is the voice that supports its female members and fights hard to improve the working conditions for mothers so that we can secure a better future for our children.

The Driver & General Union recognises that more can be done to achieve equal pay for women. The union realises that many women still earn less then men while having to work around home life commitments. Many have to balance work and child caring responsibilities which can be met with an aggressive or negative response from employers when requesting changes to working hours.

The Driver & General union recognises that women are a vital and significant section of our workforce and we make sure that their voice is heard and campaigns tirelessly on behalf of equal pay and child provision for women members.

It is time to put ourselves and our future first, for too long we have seen companies making huge profits as our standards of living drops and it becomes more difficult to juggle working hours with caring for the family.

The Driver & General Union seeks to improve the following:

Improved childcare arrangements

• The change to long working hours and establishing realistic work life balance
• The elimination of poor health and safety
• Promotion of mutual respect between women employees and their employers

The Driver & General Union works towards improving the standard of living for women members and their families. We want to enable families to achieve their goals and women to have the opportunity to develop their talents. All members should be able to enjoy fulfilling and rewarding work. Our commitment to you is that we will negotiate with employers a useful and beneficial agreement that secures improved working hours.

We will aim to end exploitation and discrimination of women in the workplace by improving employer awareness of the difficulties faced by employees in these difficult economic times.

Using a phone, sat nav or another device when driving
It’s illegal to hold and use a phone, sat nav, tablet, or any device that can send or receive data, while driving or riding a motorcycle.
This means you must not use a device in your hand for any reason, whether online or offline.
For example, you must not text, make calls, take photos or videos, or browse the web.
The law still applies to you if you’re:
• stopped at traffic lights
• queuing in traffic
• supervising a learner driver
• driving a car that turns off the engine when you stop moving
• holding and using a device that’s offline or in-flight mode

Exceptions
You can use a device held in your hand if:
• you need to call 999 or 112 in an emergency and it’s unsafe or impractical to stop
• you’re safely parked
• you’re making a contactless payment in a vehicle that is not moving, for example at a drive-through restaurant
• you’re using the device to park your vehicle remotely

Using devices hands-free
You can use devices with hands-free access, as long as you do not hold them at any time during usage. Hands-free access means using, for example:
• a Bluetooth headset
• voice command
• a dashboard holder or mat
• a windscreen mount
• a built-in sat nav
The device must not block your view of the road and traffic ahead.

Staying in full control of your vehicle
You must stay in full control of your vehicle at all times. The police can stop you if they think you’re not in control because you’re distracted and you can be prosecuted.

Penalties
You can get 6 penalty points and a £200 fine if you hold and use a phone, sat nav, tablet, or any device that can send and receive data while driving or riding a motorcycle.
You’ll also lose your licence if you passed your driving test in the last 2 years.
You can get 3 penalty points if you do not have a full view of the road and traffic ahead or proper control of the vehicle.

You can also be taken to court where you can:
• be banned from driving or riding
• get a maximum fine of £1,000 (£2,500 if you’re driving a lorry or bus)

Driving eyesight rules
You must wear glasses or contact lenses every time you drive if you need them to meet the ‘standards of vision for driving’.
You must tell DVLA if you’ve got any problem with your eyesight that affects both of your eyes, or the remaining eye if you only have one eye.
This does not include being short or long sighted or colour blind. You also do not need to say if you’ve had surgery to correct short sightedness and can meet the eyesight standards.
Check if you need to tell DVLA about your eyesight problem by searching the A to Z of medical conditions that could affect your driving.
You could be prosecuted if you drive without meeting the standards of vision for driving.

Standards of vision for driving
You must be able to read (with glasses or contact lenses, if necessary) a car number plate made after 1 September 2001 from 20 metres.
You must also meet the minimum eyesight standard for driving by having a visual acuity of at least decimal 0.5 (6/12) measured on the Snellen scale (with glasses or contact lenses, if necessary) using both eyes together or, if you have sight in one eye only, in that eye.
You must also have an adequate field of vision - your optician can tell you about this and do a test.

Lorry and bus drivers
You must have a visual acuity at least 0.8 (6/7.5) measured on the Snellen scale in your best eye and at least 0.1 (6/60) on the Snellen scale in the other eye.
You can reach this standard using glasses with a corrective power not more than (+) 8 dioptres, or with contact lenses. There’s no specific limit for the corrective power of contact lenses.
You must have an uninterrupted horizontal visual field of at least 160 degrees with an extension of at least 70 degrees left and right and 30 degrees up and down. No defects should be present within a radius of the central 30 degrees.

You must tell DVLA if you’ve got any problem with your eyesight that affects either eye.
You may still be able to renew your lorry or bus licence if you cannot meet these standards but held your licence before 1 January 1997.
The practical driving test eyesight test

At the start of your practical driving test, you have to correctly read a number plate on a parked vehicle.
If you cannot, you’ll fail your driving test, and the test will not continue. DVLA will be told, and your licence will be revoked.
When you reapply for your driving licence, DVLA will ask you to have an eyesight test with DVSA. This will be at a driving test centre. If you’re successful, you’ll still have to pass the DVSA standard eyesight test at your next practical driving test.