Taxi Driver Online

GMB 22/24 Worple Road LONDON SW19 4DD Tel: 020 8971 4209 Fax: 020 8944 6139 www.gmb.org.uk



Monday 17th December 2007



PRESS RELEASE

1 of 2 pages



Immediate Release

Attention: News desk, Transport, Social, Women and Industrial Correspondents





COURIER SACKED FOR ASKING FOR CHRISTMAS EVE OFF TO ATTEND FAMILY 40TH BIRTHDAY PARTY

CitySprint nominated by GMB for Scrooge of the Year Award



GMB member Paul Whieldon from Walthamstow north east London has been sacked from his job as a pushbike courier in the Shoreditch area of London by his employer of five years CitySprint. He requested that he be allowed not to work on Christmas Eve so that he could spend the time with his partner of 18th years, Kim, who’s celebrating her 40th birthday on that day. The request was refused and he was sacked by phone.



CitySprint operate all over England, Scotland and Wales (see note 2 below for the full list).



Paul and his 40/50 push bike colleagues cycle between 50 to 60 miles a day in the course of a five day working week for which they earn around £350 depending on the number of jobs and how fit they are.



The push bike couriers deliver in the centre of London. Paul and his other CitySprint push bike courier colleagues have had two pay cuts since 2006. In 2006 a delivery journey from EC1 to EC2 earned a courier £2.90. The same journey they now earn only £2.20. If couriers are unable to work they do not get paid. There is no sick pay, no pension scheme or paid holiday arrangements. The couriers provide their own push bikes but are charged each week, by the company for a company uniform, rent for a radio, Citytracker equipment that give them their delivery schedule, GPS equipment and goods in transit insurance. This amounts to an estimated total deduction from the pay of over £9.00 each week. Paul has been working on the American Express contract. For this he received a daily retainer rate of £60.75 which was paid to him by CitySprint and is paid for each job on top.



Terry Flanagan, GMB Professional Driver Branch Secretary said, “The courier business is full of companies like CitySprint who treat their employees in the most uncaring and unprofessional way. The constant driving down of prices in the delivery sector leads to ordinary workers like Paul being forced to work for very poor pay providing services to the very profitable financial sector, and being forced to pay for the equipment he needs to do his job.












GMB have experienced low standards in the courier industry but we do expect them not to sack people for asking for time off at Christmas. Paul offered to work over the period between Christmas and New Year and asked only for Christmas Eve off to be with his partner Kim on her 40th birthday.



GMB would like American Express to give Paul a hand up this Christmas. GMB urge Patrick Gallagher, the Managing Director of CitySprint’s London operation to sort this out. An apology to Paul and Kim and a Christmas box to tied them over the festivities. GMB is available to discuss this with Mr Gallagher or anyone else from CitySprint at anytime. By their actions CitySprint have nominated themselves for ‘Scrooge of the Year’. ”



Ends



Contact: Terry Flanagan, GMB Branch Secretary of the GMB Professional Driver Branch on 07958 275339 or GMB Press Office: Rose Conroy on 07974 251823. Steve Pryle 07921 289880. Paul Whieldon is available for interview and comment.



Notes to Editors:

1 GMB is the trade union for licensed private hire drivers (mini cab drivers) couriers and chauffeurs. GMB organizes licensed private hire drivers in London, Brighton and many other part of the country.



2 Find out more about CitySprint at www.citysprint.co.uk which also operates in Brentwood, Croydon., Heathrow, Ilford, London, Watford, Gatwick, Guildford, Hemel Hempstead, High Wycombe, Maidstone, Medway, Basingstoke, Newbury, Oxford, Southampton, Bristol, Cheltenham, Plymouth, Swindon, Birmingham, Coventry, Midland Centre, Nottingham, Cambridge, Ipswich, Milton Keynes, Cardiff, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle, Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow.

_________________
Mick Hildreth (07814 032002)
GMB PDB P39 Southern Region Branch Secretary
mick.hildreth@gmbtaxis.org.uk
www.gmbpdb.org.uk

There's a clue in the Forums name MrBB.

Taxi Driver Online.

Mr GBC,

I thought the forum members might be interested in seeing a trade union taking steps to help its member.
Regards
BB

_________________
Mick Hildreth (07814 032002)
GMB PDB P39 Southern Region Branch Secretary
mick.hildreth@gmbtaxis.org.uk
www.gmbpdb.org.uk

The union would be better off helping itself, with a certain clowns early retirement.

What would make a difference to that firm is for every union to blank them, and for every gov (Labour) dept to blank them.

That said, anyone who does courier work via a push bike, if a tad daft IMO. Especially at those rates.

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IDFIMH

THE GMB ARE UP THE GOVERMENT ARSE, TO BUSY GOING ON ABOUT RACISTS AND U.A.F AND FOREIGN WORKER TO CAR ABOUT THE BRITISH WORK FORCE, SAY ANY THING AGAIST EM YOU ARE THEN BRANDED A OR RACIST.. ( DID YOU KNOW THE SUBS YOU PAY GO THE GOVERMENTS WAY )

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FORUMS ARE A GOOD PLACE TO LET OFF STEAM ! DONT TAKE LIFE TO SERIOUSLY ..