Taxi Driver Online :: View topic - John Priest a conman???????

6 of my family work on the buss es and do not give way to any of them.

After just returning from 2 weeks hols in New-quay, and visiting my old man in Plymouth, I asked him about taxifast and was told by everyone in our company at his local that he is just a conman, he allegedly rips off the polls and checks left right and center, so they are left with about £30 a week to live off, this came from other family members who live there as well, and there are 27 of them, and they would rather walk than get into one of there cabs.
He charges radio rent then rent for accommodation and service costs???
6 of my family work on the buss es and do not give way to any of them.
I spoke to a driver who had the sense to leave them, he said that he went on his hols for 2 weeks and priest wanted his rent while he was away, he went on his hols without paying it and handed back his radio when he returned and left to work for 24 24 24 and now is paying half the rent.

Skippy, "conman" is quite a strong word, so are you suggesting that John Preece is breaking the law, for example, and if so, in what way precisely?

I don't know any cab firm in the UK that provides free accomodation to drivers, for example, so are you suggesting that John Preece should in order that he's not branded a conman?

Can't say I'm a fan of his strategy of bringing in more immigrant labour, but I don't think that's illegal.

That's the drift of it TDO, but now he gets them to sign an agreement, that they cannot leave until he is payed in full, and that could take up to 2 years

They may be contractually obliged to pay back the costs, but I doubt if legally they could be obliged to stay with the firm.

Author:	skippy41 [ Sat Jul 14, 2007 2:02 am ]
Post subject:	John Priest a conman???????
After just returning from 2 weeks hols in New-quay, and visiting my old man in Plymouth, I asked him about taxifast and was told by everyone in our company at his local that he is just a conman, he allegedly rips off the polls and checks left right and center, so they are left with about £30 a week to live off, this came from other family members who live there as well, and there are 27 of them, and they would rather walk than get into one of there cabs. He charges radio rent then rent for accommodation and service costs??? 6 of my family work on the buss es and do not give way to any of them. I spoke to a driver who had the sense to leave them, he said that he went on his hols for 2 weeks and priest wanted his rent while he was away, he went on his hols without paying it and handed back his radio when he returned and left to work for 24 24 24 and now is paying half the rent.

Author:	GBC [ Sat Jul 14, 2007 7:05 am ]
Post subject:	Re: John Priest a conman???????
skippy41 wrote: 6 of my family work on the buss es and do not give way to any of them. Do they ever for any other road user? In London they employ them as long as they can walk upright, but many seem to escape that qualification. Certainly the ability to drive safely is'nt enforced any more.

Author:	Sussex [ Sat Jul 14, 2007 7:08 am ]
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I suppose that's what it all boils down to, if you don't like the fella then work elsewhere, and if you do then work with him. Again drivers choice. I would say that a very large % of drivers dislike (or have iffy stories to tell about) their operators, but if the money's coming in then they lump it. Personally I think most operators are simply power crazy.

Author:	GA [ Sat Jul 14, 2007 9:21 am ]
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As are forum based website owners.

Author:	kermit2482 [ Sat Jul 14, 2007 11:49 am ]
Post subject:	Re: John Priest a conman???????
skippy41 wrote: After just returning from 2 weeks hols in New-quay, and visiting my old man in Plymouth, I asked him about taxifast and was told by everyone in our company at his local that he is just a conman, he allegedly rips off the polls and checks left right and center, so they are left with about £30 a week to live off, this came from other family members who live there as well, and there are 27 of them, and they would rather walk than get into one of there cabs. He charges radio rent then rent for accommodation and service costs??? 6 of my family work on the buss es and do not give way to any of them. I spoke to a driver who had the sense to leave them, he said that he went on his hols for 2 weeks and priest wanted his rent while he was away, he went on his hols without paying it and handed back his radio when he returned and left to work for 24 24 24 and now is paying half the rent. And you have only just found this out

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Author:	skippy41 [ Sat Jul 14, 2007 1:01 pm ]
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Kermit, I did know about it, but did not know to what extent he was ripping his workers off. until i was informed. after all I have now only seen my old man 6 times in 50 years.

Author:	TDO [ Sat Jul 14, 2007 3:35 pm ]
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Skippy, "conman" is quite a strong word, so are you suggesting that John Preece is breaking the law, for example, and if so, in what way precisely? I don't know any cab firm in the UK that provides free accomodation to drivers, for example, so are you suggesting that John Preece should in order that he's not branded a conman? Can't say I'm a fan of his strategy of bringing in more immigrant labour, but I don't think that's illegal.

Author:	kermit2482 [ Sat Jul 14, 2007 4:58 pm ]
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Mr Preece ( especially for you TDO ) has a lot of very strange business ethics imo, Dont get me wrong i admire the man in some respects as he has made the money he has by being a very shrude businessman and he wasn't born with any silver spoon neither, However to charge what he charges of the poles chez's and whoever else is quite simply astonishing, its basicly daylight robbery, however what he is doing is perfectly legal although imo not morraly so i also believe its up to these people who do still have a choice to make the move and work for someone whom i would consider to be a bit more reputable, afterall they are not handcuffed to him!!!!

Author:	skippy41 [ Mon Jul 16, 2007 1:07 am ]
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TDO wrote: Skippy, "conman" is quite a strong word, so are you suggesting that John Preece is breaking the law, for example, and if so, in what way precisely? I don't know any cab firm in the UK that provides free accomodation to drivers, for example, so are you suggesting that John Preece should in order that he's not branded a conman? Can't say I'm a fan of his strategy of bringing in more immigrant labour, but I don't think that's illegal. TDO put yourself in say a polls shoes for a moment, you are offered training and a job in the UK and accommodation, so you jump at the chance, so you arrive in Plymouth and start working only to find out that at the end of a week your left with £30 in your pocket to feed and cloth yourself and to pay for gas and electric, this is whats happening to the European workers in Plymouth, and they are tied to the job until they have repaid all the so called expenses, for all there training

Author:	TDO [ Tue Jul 17, 2007 12:15 am ]
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Reminds me of this article from 2004: WALKOUT BY TAXI DRIVERS MARTIN FREEMAN 12:00 - 20 November 2004 A bitter row has broken out between four Czech taxi drivers and a Plymouth firm over a £3,500 recruitment repayment demand. Taxifast told the men they must pay back the cost of flights, accommodation and training if they wanted to continue with the company. The four self-employed drivers refused and left, saying there was no written agreement to repay recruitment costs. Two of them told the Herald they were 'disgusted' at Taxifast's treatment of them. But Taxifast chairman John Preece said there was a 'verbal contract' with the men to recoup costs. He branded them as 'greedy', saying that one Czech made over £2,500 in 13 days as a Taxifast driver. The Herald revealed in September that Taxifast was the first UK taxi company to recruit from the Czech Republic. Eight men and one woman were flown over, accommodated, trained and put through city council tests, to help satisfy the expanding company's need for 60 new drivers a year. But since the recruitment payment row four have left Taxifast. Two have returned to the Czech Republic. The Herald tracked the other two down to rival firm Central Taxis, where they now work. Vaclav Milacek, 28, and Martin Behounek, 38, say they left good jobs - as a sales manager and a graphic designer respectively - in the Czech capital, Prague, for the chance to earn more and improve their English in Plymouth. Both say they were well-treated by Taxifast during their training. Mr Milacek said: "It was all right. I had no problem. I worked for 13 days, then I was told I had to pay back £3,500 in recruitment costs. "Mr Preece gave me repayment options, either £40 a week for two years, £60 for one year or £120 for six months, but I refused. "I said 'Why should I pay that?'. "We know that nothing is for free and we were prepared to pay something, maybe £1,200." The money was on top of office and car rentals totalling £280 per week, he said. Mr Milacek said he "may have seen" a document from Dunross, a recruitment company in Prague used by Taxifast, which explained that recruitment costs would be recovered once he was trained and working. But they claim no indication was given about how big the demand would be. "There was no written contract," said Mr Milacek. Mr Behounek said: "It was the same with me, the same demand for £3,500 for all of us." Both men are now working as drivers with Central, paying a total of £280 weekly in office and car rental. Mr Preece vehemently denied that the four Czechs had been treated unfairly. He said: "We have had to pay their flights, their accommodation and food for four weeks and their training, and we will pay for flights home for anybody who is not happy." There had been 'a verbal agreement' with the Czechs in Prague to recover the money once they were trained and working, although no figure was mentioned. "We wanted to recover £3,500. In fact it has cost more than that, a lot more than we ever thought." Taxifast has talked to its Czech drivers and has now agreed a repayment figure of £30 a week for six months, said Mr Preece. Five were still happily working with the company, he said. The Herald has seen Taxifast documents which show that Mr Milacek earned £2,597 in 13 days with Taxifast, working between five-and-a-half and 15.25 hours a day. He worked 10 days in succession and on two successive days, totalling 26.5 hours, earned £280 per day. Another Czech driver earned £1,575 in one week, working seven successive days of up to 14.5 hours a day. Mr Preece said: "I have given them everything, paid for their training, their licences, clothes. "If they want to walk away and pay nothing and work on that licence for another firm, that's on their conscience. I think they are greedy." Mr Milacek said: "(What I earned) is a different story. It is nothing to do with this." Dan Taylor, a director of Dunross recruitment, based in Prague, said: "We were asked by Taxifast to find potential drivers, to arrange interviews and help get reference checks. "We gave them (the recruits) a document telling them the information about Taxifast and working conditions." Mr Preece said that Taxifast - the South West's biggest taxi firm with over 320 drivers carrying over four million passengers a year - had not been put off recruiting from the Czech Republic. Up to nine more Czechs were in training in Plymouth and a further eight or 10 were waiting in Prague if Taxifast wanted to bring them over, he said.

Author:	skippy41 [ Tue Jul 17, 2007 12:25 am ]
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That's the drift of it TDO, but now he gets them to sign an agreement, that they cannot leave until he is payed in full, and that could take up to 2 years

Author:	Sussex [ Tue Jul 17, 2007 7:20 am ]
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skippy41 wrote: That's the drift of it TDO, but now he gets them to sign an agreement, that they cannot leave until he is payed in full, and that could take up to 2 years Is that any different to what applies in many other professions?

Author:	skippy41 [ Tue Jul 17, 2007 10:21 am ]
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Yes Sussex, but in any other profession you are free to leave, or if you have any disputes you can get them sorted, BUT they are held over a barrel and don't have the same freedom its pay when I tell you and how much or its find your way home

Author:	TDO [ Tue Jul 17, 2007 2:38 pm ]
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So if the article is genuine then where is all that money going? Maybe some of the immigrants have decided to go pubbing and clubbing instead and that's why they're left with £30? Let's face it, we've all met them in the trade. I suspect the truth lies somewhere between the two extremes quoted. I'm not an expert on the immigration rules, but I suspect that if John Preece is acting as stated then he's breaking them, but again I suspect that the facts have been exaggerated a bit by Skippy's sources. I daresay when some realise the cost of training etc they cry foul and make excuses not to pay it back, but if the figures quoted are correct then it wouldn't be too onerous paying it back over a year or two. They may be contractually obliged to pay back the costs, but I doubt if legally they could be obliged to stay with the firm.

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Author:	kermit2482 [ Tue Jul 17, 2007 3:41 pm ]
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TDO wrote: They may be contractually obliged to pay back the costs, but I doubt if legally they could be obliged to stay with the firm. thats my take on the situation also.