The LTDA and TAXI Newspaper.

It seems not a week goes by without another report in TAXI newspaper regarding matters and business of the RMT London taxi branch.

So let us make it clear for the those at Woodfield Road  members of the London taxi branch along with the vice chair John Kennedy attended a rally at parliament to ask the Government not to implement Network Rail job cuts. The logic is clear and simple and it should worry all taxi-cab drivers that it seems some within the London taxi trade don't understand the importance of a safe rail network and the knock on effect another serious rail disaster would have on work levels for all London taxi-cab drivers. We are in the middle of a recession and you only have to look at the rail terminal ranks to see how much we need these stations and the custom they bring.

It is very odd that the very organisation that runs the Paddington taxi share scheme in conjunction with Heathrow Express doesn't seem to understand the importance of rail customers to taxi-cab drivers in the capital ?

Janine Booth is the Regional Secretary of the London Transport region of the RMT specialist transport union and she does turn up to meetings of the many branches within the London region. What relevance is it therefore that Ms Janine Booth is a Gay Rights campaigner ? What an insult to all those who campaign for equal rights and what an insult to the intelligence of all London's taxi-cab drivers.

We would also like to point out at no time has any member or official of the union asked the London taxi branch to partake in industrial action, this would be illegal and would be against the law. Secondary action is against the law after legislation was introduced by the Thatcher Government in the 1980's something you would have thought a proper association with a grip on current affairs would know and understand.

It may interest many of you to know that we tend to think we compete with private hire/mini-cabs rather than bus or tube. It seems that the editor of TAXI newspaper forgot to mention that the LTDA own a 20% stake in a well known radio circuit. Doesn't this well known radio circuit book mini-cabs ?

Time for those at Woodfield road to take along hard look at themselves and worry less about the RMT London taxi branch and worry more about the direction they are taking the London taxi trade.

RMT Taxi branch coming to a rank near you...

The RMT London taxi is hitting the ranks with a new recruitment drive and with spring approaching you'll see more members of the RMT at a rank near you.

Recently we have been well recieved at Heathrow airport and only today had a great day at Victoria station with taxi-cab drivers picking the phones up and contacting the chairman of our branch with minutes of recieving information which states clearly branch policy and certainly corrects information that others have chosen to spread in hope of damaging the RMT London taxi branch.

With spring on the way you'll certainly be seeing a lot more of the RMT and its taxi branch on the ranks and highways of Greater London, with a monthly newsletter and a new trade journal hitting the streets it will certainly be great to get our message out amongst you all and place on record our views and democratic opinions of issues that affect you the self employed working taxi-cab driver.

May we take this opportunity to thank all the members of the London taxi branch who gave up there time freely to spread our message to the wider taxi trade community and once again thank all the taxi-cab drivers who took great interest in what we have to offer.

If you wish to join the RMT London taxi branch please do email the branch at Londontaxi@rmt.org.uk and we'll pop an application form in the post for you. Alternatively you can join online at http://www.rmt.org.uk/ .

Should know better.....

There I was sitting on the taxi rank on Tuesday evening on Park Lane outside the Grosvenor house hotel/ballroom when I finally make it to the point and low and behold I find what appears to be a local borough council car parked on the clearly marked out taxi-cab rank.

Why do we think it is a local council car, well notice the number plate and crest sitting on the roof of the motor car. You may even notice that the driver isn't with the car and instead somewhere else.

So the question we must ask of this council is do they condone parking on taxi-cab ranks. After taking a look at this picture it is clear the rank is on a red route and we must ask the question who deals with illegally parked cars on red route London taxi-cab ranks?

Anyway the driver and occupants of this vehicle should know better and councillors should ensure they set an example to us all. Maybe it's time for change at Westminster City Council...

Four Cab Ranks, Three Bouncers and a Rickshaw.

One year on after that massive taxi trade demonstration on the 5th of Feb 2009 and the London taxi trade has four cab ranks, three bouncers and another rickshaw bill to show for its effort.

Yes Mark Field MP for City of Westminster has introduced a private members bill to regulate and control rickshaws within the capital. Don't worry the RMT is on the case and we've already made contact with Mark Field MP and looking forward to recieving a copy of the draft bill when he makes it available on the parliamentary website. If you pick up any taxi trade publication you'll notice that this doesn't even get a mention, honestly you couldn't make it up! It just goes to show that some within our trade are so concerned at the creation of the RMT London taxi branch that they don't even seem to have a look at what is going on within the corridors of power (wakey wakey).

In the latest edition of one trade paper a senior member of this friendly society questions why members of the taxi branch attended a rally at parliament recently in support of the call for a safer rail network and no job cuts. Well maybe this individual has forgotten what it is like to drive a taxi-cab, maybe he and others need to understand that self employed taxi-cab drivers need a safe and secure rail network to provide us with work at the many train stations that terminate here in London. Yes trains bring us custom something you'd think fellow or ex taxi-cab drivers would understand especially considering this friendly society happens to marshall the Paddington taxi share scheme. This is though the same friendly society along with the taxi branch of the trade union Unite that thinks it's a good idea to give rickshaws/pedicabs bays/ranks on the public highway, so maybe this explains a lot?

On the bouncer front what can one say except this really does make Transport for London and the Metropolitan Police look rather silly for it seems they have very little influence or control over the streets and ranks of London at night.

Here though at the RMT London taxi branch we shall continue the hardwork and get on with representing you the self employed taxi-cab so if you wish to join the most democraic trade union in the UK please click on the link http://www.rmt.org.uk/ and fill out the application form and join the only trade union that gives you a voice on the rank, the PCO, City Hall and the corridors of power at Parliament.

PS Just in case you were wondering what would members of the taxi branch do if the underground or the trains were to strike, well the answer is simple we go to work for secondary action is illegal under trade union legislation.

Transport for London Board Meeting 3rd Feb 2010...

On the 3rd of Feb 2010 the board of Transport for London met and included in this months topics were a number of issues relating to London taxi-cabs.

If you are interested or just curious please do click on the link http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/about-tfl/boardandchiefofficers/papers/1436.aspx and you'll come to a page where you will have the chance to see what went on at previous meetings (item 2) and what is presently being discussed regarding our industry and job.

Items 10 and 11 are of interest to us all for they deal with a number of issues that concern us directly/indirectly.

We shall every month give you the link to the board of Transport for London and the Surface Transport Panel just so you the self employed taxi-cab driver can make your own mind up about matters concerning our trade and decide for yourself if views and opinions are actually getting voiced at the top tables where many final decisions are made.

Next meeting of the board of Transport for London will be on the 24th March 2010. The Surface Transport Panel last met on the 10th November 2009 and we await new dates for this panel to meet.

If you've never joined a union you may well think after reading these papers that the time might be right to get involved and have a say about your livelihood. The RMT London taxi branch can muster more members to attend a branch meeting than all the other trade organisations put together. People ask why is this and the answer is simple and clear, we are a democratic trade union that allow you the membership to debate and decide policy. It really is that simple so rather than have you head in a bucket or reading the ever longer lists of adverts in some of our trade papers why not join the only democratic and independent trade union in the London taxi trade and help to ensure that our trade not only survives but flourishes.

Please join online at http://www.rmt.org.uk/ or email the branch secretary for an application form at Londontaxi@rmt.org.uk