Taxi Driver Online

A senior trade union official has warned of strike action and called for the mass resignation of Dundee's licensing committee over a row about taxi fare increases.


Dundee taxi fare increase limited to 20p — challenge anticipated
Article search Chris Elder, the Unite union taxi branch secretary for Dundee, said the city council's licensing committee had failed to follow the proper procedures when agreeing to a 20p increase in the initial meter charge, from £2.40 to £2.60.

Mr Elder said the committee's convener, Councillor Rod Wallace, had treated the trade with "utter contempt" and pushed through the 20p increase.

He called on the Ferry councillor to resign from his post.

Mr Wallace dismissed that call, saying the committee "listened to everyone and tried to be as fair as possible."

Mr Elder said, "We are disgusted by the way the committee and Mr Wallace in particular have dealt with this issue.

The committee asked everyone for their opinion and the majority agreed to a rise to £3.

Objections

"They supported this increase, advertised it but changed their minds after objections from Dundee Age Concern and Dundee Celebrate Age Network (Dundee CAN).

"Mr Wallace has made a total mess of this and we feel he should resign.

"He has treated the taxi trade with utter contempt — it's an absolute disgrace.

"We strongly feel he should step down and that the committee should step down too."

Unite and the Dundee Taxi Association had proposed the initial charge be increased to £3, though that would have covered a longer distance.

However the committee approved a 20p increase after Dundee CAN and Dundee Voluntary Action said the higher increase would discriminate against elderly and disabled people-who are particularly reliant on taxis.

Mr Elder said the local taxi trade could strike over the issue.

He said, "There is a very good possibility that will happen — there are a lot of very unhappy taxi drivers out there.

"There are a number of possibilities — rolling strikes, strikes at peak times and rallies in the city square."

It is understood the DTA and the Scottish Taxi Federation are considering mounting a legal challenge over the way the decision was reached. Mr Elder said the union also considering their options.

He added, "It has been two years since taxi drivers have had a wage increase and we felt the increase to £3 was fair.

Nail in the coffin

"Their decision is just another nail in the coffin for the taxi trade."

Mr Wallace said he appreciated the taxi trade's situation but that all sides had to be considered.

He said, "I have absolutely no intention of resigning whatsoever.

"I have a role to play that I see as being supportive to both the taxi trade and the travelling public.

"Part of the requirement of our original decision was to go out to consult on the matter.

"The reaction from certain members of the public was they were not happy with any increase.

"We felt the best way forward was for a small increase now but with a requirement to review the fare system."

Meanwhile, Mr Elder's calls for strike action and a mass resignation of the licensing committee have met with approval from local taxi drivers.

Alex Short, a taxi driver for 22 years, said, "I'm in favour of strike action and I support the call for Mr Wallace to resign."


http://www.thecourier.co.uk/News/Dundee ... g-row.html

Would you ask turkeys if they wanted Christmas

so when are we striking then am up for that and dont mind putting my hand in my pocket as long as there no just making a lot of noise wich no one normaly hears

Someone needs to tell that pillock he has given the perfect reason for never increasing the poll tax.

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IDFIMH

There was me thinking the Poll Tax had gone, replaced by the Council Tax.

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Chris The Fish

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gdlyi5mc ... re=related

No, the 1975 Plymouth Act says Council Tax, the 1976 Mis Pro Act says Poll Tax.

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IDFIMH

more arguing among the troops
http://www.thecourier.co.uk/News/Dundee ... hreat.html

Some letters in tonight's evening telegraph



Taxi drivers must stand together to fight decision

I am the Unite union taxi branch secretary for Dundee.
The union and Dundee Taxi Association put in for a fares increase to the licensing committee.

The committee passed our proposed increase and published it for a 28-day consultation period.

The licensing committee listened to objections then decided to scupper the union and DTA proposals and give us a 20p increase from £2.40 to £2.60 — less than what we thought we would get.

I feel that the committee has driven another nail in the coffin of the taxi trade in Dundee. The convener, Rod Wallace, says that he is listening to the trade but after this debacle every taxi operator in Dundee can see that he isn’t.

Taxi operators in Dundee don’t expect too much regarding the committee’s report on the taxi fleet in DEC if this is the way they treat the taxi trade.

Also it’s about time all the operators pulled together as one and took some kind of action.

You don’t have to go on strike. There are plenty of other ways like rolling protests at peak times and rallies in the city square.

If you want to save what’s left of your taxi trade stand up and be counted because this licensing committee is not going to help you. — Chris Elder Unite Union Taxi Branch Sec, Dundee.


No logic

When Councillor Wallace states that he has to take into account the views of the public when awarding the taxi trade a cost of living rise, will he and his colleagues apply the same views when in the future they have to put up our community charges?
This I very much doubt. When your running costs rise the money to fund this has to come from somewhere and the taxi trade has only one source of income.

I could understand the bodies that the licensing committee consulted voting against the fare increase, but if you ask any member of the public their views against a rise in goods or services they would naturally vote against.

This increase was asked for to cover the trade’s ever-increasing running costs, not a wage increase.

Applying Mr Wallace’s logic to any cost increase in goods and services, nothing would rise and everything would stay static. Come on Mr Wallace, start living in the real world. This logic is like asking turkeys to vote in favour of Christmas. — Auld Cabby.

A fair return


My name is Tony Waters and I am a taxi driver.
Mr Wallace said the reaction from certain members of the public was they were not happy with any increase. No-one likes prices going up.

In the Secretary of State for Scotland’s view, the public interest is best served by ensuring the maintenance of an adequate taxi service by giving the trade a fair return rather than depressing fares for social reasons, “however understandable”.

The committee therefore, has to assess the data placed before them in regard to motoring and wage costs since the last review and endeavour to agree a level of fares which produces a fair return to the trade. I do not believe this has happened in this case. — Tony Waters.

Just do a slow blockade they work better. Maximum disruption at all times.

What would happen if cab owners told the council they would not do school contracts until they get what they want????

They'd lose them to private hire?

CC

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Your right CC an appeal to the Traffic commissioner has been lodged we will let the traffic commissioner rip them to shreds again. Still doses not help us in the mean time but in the long run we might get the national average that she said we should be at the last time we appealed to the traffic commissioner. They have not learned from the last time

copy af last appeal any comments or advice would be welcomed

http://www.123people.co.uk/ext/frm?ti=p ... wrt_id=216