In a recent article that appeared in the Guardian online on Wednesday the 24th November 2010 it is alleged that an east London mini-cab driver is in fact a part-time Taliban commander when he is in Afghanistan.
The RMT London taxi branch will be making representations and bringing this issue to the attention of the Mayor/TFL and all other relevant authorities.
Please do click on the link below to read the whole article at the Guardian online http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/nov/24/the-taliban-troop-london-jihadists
RMT London taxi branch...
Saturday, 27 November 2010
Friday, 12 November 2010
1st December 2010...
Please note that due to the recent civil disturbance on Weds the 10th of November 2010 the last branch meeting was cancelled at very short notice.
Every effort was made to contact as many members/activists and advise them of this late cancellation. Now for the good news and that is the next branch meeting will take place at the Chadwick Street Sports Centre on the 1st December 2010 at 6.45pm.
Please bring your membership card to gain access to the meeting.
Every effort was made to contact as many members/activists and advise them of this late cancellation. Now for the good news and that is the next branch meeting will take place at the Chadwick Street Sports Centre on the 1st December 2010 at 6.45pm.
Please bring your membership card to gain access to the meeting.
Monday, 1 November 2010
A United Voice..?
With the long awaited consultation of private hire underway the London Taxi trade has the opportunity to speak with one voice and seek the closure of the sub/satellite mini-cab office.
Under a previous Mayor/administration a "safer travel at night" initiative was set up/introduced which placed mini-cab offices within bars/clubs and led to lines of illegal mini-cab ranks. How do we know these lines of mini-cabs are illegal? Well virtually none of them have bookings and the majority are "ranked" on the public highway with those in authority turning a blind eye.
TFL and the Met Police have failed the public, the London Taxi trade and to an extent private hire. Case/common law is on the side of the London Taxi trade and this case/common law will form a major part of the RMT London Taxi branch response to this consultation.
Those in authority hide behind the lack of funding/resources however we see no reason why parity exists with our licence fee, and if TFL/TPH need extra funding/resources to crack down on the illegal activities of parts of the mini-cab trade that funding should come directly from that trade and not the self employed London Taxi-cab driver.
If TFL/TPH can't deliver well it must surely be time to split this directorate in two and divest the PHV operation into a stand alone body that understands clearly its role and remit within TFL. PHV's/mini-cabs do not have the right to "ply for hire" and TFL need to clarify what they define/understand "plying for hire" to mean. TFL and PHV's/mini-cabs need to understand only Taxi-cabs have the right to "rank" and therefore "ply for hire" our trade is built upon this very right and to allow anything other than a Taxi-cab to ply for hire is effectively making all 24,000 of us redundant. The right to rank is earned by every single Taxi-cab driver and we expect the licensing authority to do the job we pay them to do and part of that job must include a duty of care towards our industry.
The RMT London Taxi branch seeks to split the TPH directorate in two, we note that the chairman of the LTDA recently stated this also. Whilst the authorities bundle us together the lines will blur even further and along with it our good name.
Let us hope the London Taxi trade can speak with one voice on this long overdue consultation.
Under a previous Mayor/administration a "safer travel at night" initiative was set up/introduced which placed mini-cab offices within bars/clubs and led to lines of illegal mini-cab ranks. How do we know these lines of mini-cabs are illegal? Well virtually none of them have bookings and the majority are "ranked" on the public highway with those in authority turning a blind eye.
TFL and the Met Police have failed the public, the London Taxi trade and to an extent private hire. Case/common law is on the side of the London Taxi trade and this case/common law will form a major part of the RMT London Taxi branch response to this consultation.
Those in authority hide behind the lack of funding/resources however we see no reason why parity exists with our licence fee, and if TFL/TPH need extra funding/resources to crack down on the illegal activities of parts of the mini-cab trade that funding should come directly from that trade and not the self employed London Taxi-cab driver.
If TFL/TPH can't deliver well it must surely be time to split this directorate in two and divest the PHV operation into a stand alone body that understands clearly its role and remit within TFL. PHV's/mini-cabs do not have the right to "ply for hire" and TFL need to clarify what they define/understand "plying for hire" to mean. TFL and PHV's/mini-cabs need to understand only Taxi-cabs have the right to "rank" and therefore "ply for hire" our trade is built upon this very right and to allow anything other than a Taxi-cab to ply for hire is effectively making all 24,000 of us redundant. The right to rank is earned by every single Taxi-cab driver and we expect the licensing authority to do the job we pay them to do and part of that job must include a duty of care towards our industry.
The RMT London Taxi branch seeks to split the TPH directorate in two, we note that the chairman of the LTDA recently stated this also. Whilst the authorities bundle us together the lines will blur even further and along with it our good name.
Let us hope the London Taxi trade can speak with one voice on this long overdue consultation.
Friday, 22 October 2010
You Really Couldn't Make This Up !
It seems that some it the taxi trade just don't get it...!
Yes the three trade orgs/union that go by the name of the UTG (United Trade Group) which consists of the LTDA (leaders) followed by Unite the union and the LCDC (followers) sit down and collectively agree to offer an age limit for YOUR taxi-cab of 15 years. Then spend column inches in their respective journals/rags begging the Mayor of London not to bring in a 10 year age limit even though they have accepted the principle of an age limit by offering one in the first place.
Ask yourself this does your trade org/union have regular meetings with you the membership ?
If so are you encouraged to attend and hold officers/officials to account for the decisions they make on your behalf ?
If the Mayor introduces an age limit will you be happy that the value of your taxi-cab will decrease ?
After all it appears that some of the people who agreed to the principle of an age limit now seem a little worried at the consequences of their actions.
It might be time for you to join an open democratic trade union that gives you a voice, a vote and excellent legal cover. Time to join the RMT online at www.rmt.org.uk and come along to our next branch meeting on the 10th of November 2010...
Yes the three trade orgs/union that go by the name of the UTG (United Trade Group) which consists of the LTDA (leaders) followed by Unite the union and the LCDC (followers) sit down and collectively agree to offer an age limit for YOUR taxi-cab of 15 years. Then spend column inches in their respective journals/rags begging the Mayor of London not to bring in a 10 year age limit even though they have accepted the principle of an age limit by offering one in the first place.
Ask yourself this does your trade org/union have regular meetings with you the membership ?
If so are you encouraged to attend and hold officers/officials to account for the decisions they make on your behalf ?
If the Mayor introduces an age limit will you be happy that the value of your taxi-cab will decrease ?
After all it appears that some of the people who agreed to the principle of an age limit now seem a little worried at the consequences of their actions.
It might be time for you to join an open democratic trade union that gives you a voice, a vote and excellent legal cover. Time to join the RMT online at www.rmt.org.uk and come along to our next branch meeting on the 10th of November 2010...
Friday, 15 October 2010
Taxi Engagement Policy...
At the beginning of the year John Mason the Director of Taxis and Private Hire agreed to meet with the RMT London taxi branch on a regular informal basis.
After the general election John Mason introduced a Taxi Engagement Policy and today we have responded to the Director of Taxis and Private Hire.
We look forward to TFL/TPH's response...
PS please note the RMT London taxi branch is included in all consultations affecting the taxi trade. We recently said NO to age limits and we await the result of this consultation.
After the general election John Mason introduced a Taxi Engagement Policy and today we have responded to the Director of Taxis and Private Hire.
We look forward to TFL/TPH's response...
PS please note the RMT London taxi branch is included in all consultations affecting the taxi trade. We recently said NO to age limits and we await the result of this consultation.
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