In This Issue...And More!

Autumn 2018 The VoiceThe OfficialNFDA magazine for the Industry In this issue... The latest Consumer Attitude Survey Booking open for our 2019 Spring Ball NFDA Parliamentary Engagement Programme ...and more! 2019 NADASHOW NFDA Dealer Trip to San Fransisco Welcome to the Autumn RMI calls on Government to agree Edition of the Voice the best deal for Automotive on a new, important initiative sector. It is also encouraging Brexit. Also, more MPs have for NFDA members regarding to see that franchised retailers visited the dealership in Retailers at 105 RMI annual dinner electric vehicles – more details are seen by the vast majority their constituencies as part to follow shortly. of respondents as the safest of the NFDA Parliamentary option to service a car. Engagement Programme. In September, we published The visits continue to provide the Dealer Attitude Survey Drive My Career has seen NFDA members with an ideal Summer 2018 which showed consistent growth since opportunity to discuss the that the relationship between its launch in February. A main issues affecting their retailers and manufacturers recent highlight was our businesses and the whole Sue Robinson has slightly improved first partnership with a Director, NFDA automotive retail sector. compared to six months ago. manufacturer: Groupe Renault Dear Colleague, Kia remained at the top of saw the value of the initiative Finally, bookings are open for the survey while a number of and signed up all its UK the events taking place in the New and used car markets manufacturers saw their score Renault and Dacia NFDA coming months - NADA 2019, remain at high levels, but the improve thanks to a significant members’ dealerships. Please Driving Digital and the NFDA lack of clarity on a number of increase in the response rate. find more details in this edition Spring Ball. Please find more areas may affect consumer of The Voice. details in the magazine. buying patterns. To support Positively, the results retailers in the crucial role of of the latest Consumer Policy: I recently attended NFDA is your trade have become used to frictionless and are committed to supporting the needs of informing the public, NFDA Attitude Survey revealed the Tory and Labour Party association: we represent, The 105 Retail Motor Industry tariff free trade between the UK and the the industry. has been holding workshops that franchised retailers Conferences where I have had you benefit. If you need any Federation (RMI) Annual Dinner assistance, please contact other countries of the EU. It means parts and produced guidance continue to be considered by meetings with relevant MPs took place in London at the Last year, the Government announced [email protected]. can be delivered quickly from wherever documents on issues such as consumers as professional, and Ministers to discuss key InterContinental Hotel on 11 that all new petrol and diesel vehicles WLTP, diesel and low emission knowledgeable and industry topics including motor they are made or held in stock. it means October 2018. Political editor vehicles can be ordered and transported will be removed from our roads by vehicles. We are also working trustworthy in the aftersales finance, diesel and, of course, 2040. The RMI has been working hard Robert Peston was the guest across borders in a matter of hours and days and it has meant goods do not have to get the Government to acknowledge speaker at this year’s dinner. the role of cleaner diesel cars and to be checked at the border. Our industry vans in lowering emissions. The recent Speaking at the dinner, RMI Chairman must have a deal agreed and that deal Government’s Road to Zero strategy set Peter Johnson said that “it is vital that approved by parliament this November. out the ambition for as many as 70% of NFDA Regional Meetings Round-Up the Government and the EU come Neither our suppliers, nor our customers, new car sales to be ultra-low emission by together and agree that frictionless, tariff- nor our own businesses will benefit from 2030, alongside up to 40% of new vans. The NFDA quarterly regional meetings provide an ideal introduction of WLTP in September, affecting different brands in free terms of trade are in the interests of delays at border checkpoints nor from However, it is important that we, as an opportunity for NFDA members to discuss topical issues such different ways. On the used car side, retailers report a buoyant the whole sector, in order for the retail tariffs set at two levels. industry, continue to educate consumers as the new and used car market, the dealer-manufacturer market, with strong conversion rates and values in the auction motor industry to progress and thrive in a on this complex issue of emissions that relationship, F&I issues, GDPR, as well as Drive My Career. sector. stable environment”. has only become more complicated with Our members’ input is crucial to NFDA’s lobbying and liaison The recently published Dealer Attitude Survey provided an ideal Read below an extract from Peter the introduction of new emission testing activities with Government and manufacturers. In turn, these basis for discussion regarding issues affecting the relationship Johnson’s speech outlining the key and changes to the MOT. meetings offer attendees the opportunity to exchange views between dealers and manufacturers. contributions of the retail automotive The future is undoubtedly leaning with colleagues from a range of franchises and stay up to date sector, the priorities ahead of Brexit as With regards to HR and employment issues, retention of skilled towards hybrid and electric vehicles and on the work that the NFDA does for them. well as the evolution facing the new car staff, and filling technician and sales vacancies continue to be demand has continued to surge this year. market. The most recent round of regional meetings took place in the main areas of concern for franchised retailers. This new technology is fundamentally September across the UK. Overall, retailers seemed to agree Please see below dates and venues of the next meetings. “Since the Brexit referendum in June different to petrol and diesel and will that the new car market would have been distorted by the 2016, businesses in the UK have been require all elements of the sector to adapt waiting for clarity on our future terms requiring new skills and business models, NORTH EASTERN SOUTHERN REGIONAL MEETING SOUTH WESTERN of trade with the EU, and for clarity on something the RMI is working hard to REGIONAL MEETING Thursday 6 December, REGIONAL MEETING who we are going to be able to recruit to equip all members”. Tuesday 4 December, Hilton, Cobham Thursday 13 December, work in our businesses. The automotive Peter Johnson concluded his speech by Holiday Inn, York Holiday Inn, Bristol industry has had a very strong past few So, we ask the UK Government and MIDLAND REGIONAL MEETING mentioning the recent successes of the NORTHERN REGIONAL MEETING Tuesday 11 December, If you would like to attend years with an annual retail turnover of the EU to come together to agree that around one hundred and ninety-three RMI Academy of Automotive Skills and Wednesday 5 December, Hilton, Northampton a meeting, please contact frictionless, tariff-free terms of trade are billion pounds. the progress made by the mileage fraud Park Royal, Warrington [email protected]. in the interests of the whole sector. The campaign. alternative is stark. The UK plays a Record employment and low interest rates have encouraged people to spend - key part in the highly successful global Thank you to all those who attended this resulting in 1.9 million new cars, 270,000 automotive industry. Therefore, no deal year’s RMI Annual Dinner and raised a commercial vehicles and over 4 million is unthinkable when you consider that generous amount of £2,350 for Ben, the used cars sold so far this year. the automotive sector provides direct charity providing support for life to people employment for over 800,000 people. We working in the automotive industry and Whilst we have been part of the EU, we want that number to keep growing and their families. 2 3 Parental Bereavement (Leave and activities. They further went on to find that The decision was overturned however Pay) Act 2018 the employer, in this case, did not have by the Employment Appeal Tribunal constructive knowledge of disability on the on appeal. The Tribunal applied a too It has been announced that the Parental facts, partly because the employee denied stricter test of causation to the question of Bereavement (Leave and Pay) Act 2018 has having one. whether the University had mistreated the received royal assent. This will provide a Professor because of something arising right to two paid weeks of time away from On the facts here, the employee did not in consequence of the disability. The work for those employees who have lost a indicate disability on any application form Tribunal had identified the key issue as child aged under 18. and failed to disclose it on a health form. being whether the employee’s refusal to He went on to say that he had hypertension Will await further Regulations. It is return to her existing role was because which necessitated him avoiding regular anticipated the Government wants to of her disability or for some other reason night work. He said his symptoms included introduce the Act fully by April 2020. such as having been badly treated in the headaches, fatigue, breathing difficulties and department. The EAT said, however, this Comment lack of confidence. The Claimant however was not a binary question, both reasons provided no evidence to the Tribunal of The rights to paid time off for family could have been at play.

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