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.
