Taxi Driver Online

Nope. I made the coffee. (at canonmills)

Maybe a national policy is up for grabs.

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IDFIMH

It just seemed unusual that we know where every other organisation stands but it appears to me that because of the varied membership of the GMBU each Branch has its own individual policy on restriction. I suspect membership in such cases is predominantly skewed in favour of one section of the trade, or the other. Up here its hackney Carriage, elsewhere it could be P/H.

Would that be a fair assessment?

Regards

JD

I'm not sure JD, but yer man TF's got a radical solution for all you PH people out there;

Terence Flanagan of the GMB Professional Drivers’ Branch said that his members working as private hire drivers were working up to 80 hours a week, often for 21 days without a break and for as little as £4.85 an hour. To tackle this endemic problem there needs to be a custodial sentence for proprietors of private hire companies

I reckon GBC and him have more in common than we all think

Captain Cab

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

Well I have no ambition to get embroiled in the personal battle that's raging between GBC and GMBU but I was wondering how the circle could be squared in unifying both sides of the trade so to speak, as far as the GMBU is concerned?

Regards

JD

From what I see it's still early days.

I think old Terry is on a national mission, but the local lads wont want too much of him if he disagrees with any of there policies.

But the GMB has choice when it comes down to the plate issue, they either try to suck up to the 30% of the cab trade which want to keep quotas, or the 70% of the cab trade, and the 100% of the PH trade who have other fish to fry.

Standards, wages, safety, conditions etc etc.

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IDFIMH

Aye,

working 80 hours per week in a completely free market sounds absolutely superb.

Of course its the PH proprietors fault you know, I mean if people phoned him at more convenient hours

sheesh

Captain Cab

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

Can anyone supply any figures as to the number of branches the GMBU has in England and Wales?

Regards

JD

No JD, but I can supply this little baby from the GMB site;

GMB and Brake launch road safety campaign to combat tiredness deaths
12 Jul 2006

A new GMB survey of the chauffeur drivers has found drivers are working up to 70 hours a week and are under constant pressure from well heeled bosses to work even longer hours.

It found that chauffeurs spend many hours outside hotels and restaurants waiting for their bosses to be ready to be driven to their next engagement. They were often expected to leave the boss home in the early hours and be back on duty after a very few hours of sleep. While their bosses enjoy multi-million pound incomes the drivers are paid not much more than the national minimum wage.

GMB has joined forces with road safety charity Brake to work for action from the relevant authorities on the serious safety issues in the private hire sector of the road transport industry including:

A full enquiry into the long hours culture of the chauffeur industry.
Better research and statistics to illustrate the scale of the problem
Application of the Working Time Regulations to the chauffeur industry and the end of the opt-out.
More effective enforcement of existing laws and regulations.
Education of employers, employees, agencies and the travelling public.
The key findings of the GMB survey were that:-

· 50% of the drivers interviewed work an average of 70 hours or more a week.

· 60% of drivers interviewed have experienced some form of weekly coercion to work more hours than they should from their subcontractor or "employer"

· 100% of the drivers that felt victimised also felt that if they refused to undertake a job, even if it was at the end of a shift and they were tired, there would be repercussions. They felt that they would be further victimised by their employers who would retaliate by discriminating against them in the type of work they were given.

· Nearly 60% of the drivers interviewed said the average length of their workday was 11 hours or more. This is a clear indication that they are not getting enough rest periods.

· Drivers made little connection between the length of the working day and the inadequacy of the rest periods.

· Although drivers are not getting enough rest between shifts, many are not aware of the danger lack of sleep and adequate rest presents to them, their passengers and other road users.

There was a widespread misconception that accumulating rest periods throughout the working week would compensate for the inadequate rest taken after individual long shifts.
There was no evidence of knowledge or training on the increased risk of accident created by lack of sleep or inadequate rest periods.
Attending the launch will be Paul Kenny, GMB General Secretary and Professor Jim Horne DSc, Director of the Sleep Research Centre at Loughborough University, a renowned expert in effect of sleep deprivation, Cathy Keeler, Brake's Head of Campaigns, Terry Flanagan GMB Branch Secretary of the Professional Drivers Branch and Bert Schouwenburg GMB Organiser who looks after GMB's thousands of professional driver members.

The launch will take place today at 6pm (Wednesday 12th July) in The Wilson Room, Portcullis House, Westminster. MPs attending the meeting and supporting the campaign include Jim Sheridan MP Paisley and Renfrewshire North, Madeleine Moon MP Bridgend, Frank Doran MP Aberdeen North, Andrew Dismore MP Hendon, Lynda Waltho MP Stourbridge, Bettie Williams MP Conwy, Tom Harris MP Glasgow South and Mark Hendrick MP Preston.

Bert Schouwenburg, GMB Organiser of the GMB Professional Drivers Branch said, "How many deaths on our roads are due directly to sleep deprivation as a result of the pressure put on professional drivers by their employers to work long hours? The Government must take action on our recommendations and enforce the laws that are designed to protect all road users."

Cathy Keeler, Brake's Head of Campaigns said, "Today's report is extremely disturbing. Employers and drivers need to wake up to the fact that tiredness and driving are a potentially lethal combination. The Government needs to tighten up the law and provide effective enforcement to ensure that employers do not put pressure on drivers to work horrendous shifts, putting themselves and other innocent road users in danger."

-Ends-

Contact:Bert Schouwenburg, GMB Organiser on 07974 251764 or Terry Flanagan, GMB Branch Secretary and London Private Hire Driver on 07958 275339 or Cathy Keeler, Head of Campaigns, Brake, the road safety charity on01484 559909

Notes to Editors:

1 Copies of the full survey results are available at the launch or GMB national website www.gmb.org.uk or from wendy.galloway@gmb.org.uk 020 8971 4205.

2 According to a report produced for TRANSfED, the Sector body for the Road Transport Industry in 2003[1], there are approximately 13,500 businesses engaged in the industry and the workforce accounts for 327,000 people. The total is made up of:

· 228,000 licensed taxi and private hire drivers

· 40,000 private hire drivers in London[2]

· 19.000 people whose main job is n the taxi and private hire industry but who are not drivers - this includes clerical staff and radio operators

· 40,000 people whose main job is a taxi driver, private hire driver or chauffeur but who do not for businesses in the taxi and private hire industry. These could be directly employed chauffeurs.

· Self-employment accounts for 80% of those working in the industry. This compares with a self-employment rate of around 11% in the workforce as a whole.

· Self-employment is a key attraction to working in the industry for many drivers.

· Women account for only 11% of the workforce. This is well below their representation in the workforce as a whole, which is around 45% and below the average for the transport sector generally.

The industry is characterised by very little initial training for new entrants and virtually no updating of skills. Any training that is undertaken is to meet the requirements attached to obtaining a licence. These requirements vary considerably between the Public Carriage Office (PCO) which provides for the Licensing and regulation of private hire operators, drivers and vehicles in London and the local authorities that are responsible for licensing in the industry elsewhere in England and Wales.

3 For more information about BRAKE visit http://www.brake.org.uk


regards

Captain cab

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

I think the London branch is a national one in that you can join it from anywhere.

As for the other local branches, isn't their a seperate PH and taxi branch in Liverpool?

Also I think there's a branch just re-started in Brighton and Hove, but that might come into the London/national branch.

Far too confusing for the likes of me.

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IDFIMH

Does the GMB have a policy on x or y in z no read an openinvite from the GMB what we have identified is Betrayal by some unions lack of faciliti.es from some ASSTS; and a definite lack of political nous IE the politicians instruct the bueracrats .so lets get them.maybe weve alredy got them what we need to do is control them.
I set this branch up initially ONLY for London but could we turn away workers in need from other locations NO.I and the GMB are absolutely appalled at the ambigious licencing regimes prevalent across the nation.
We are discussing setting up an umberella ctte to oversee the creation of profffesional drivers branches nationwide At the moment the most fruitfull branches are in Brighton snd the midlands.This union stands ready and willing to assist drivers nationwide whether it is succesfull depends upon the drivers being able to identify their needs and solutions but at the same time avoiding conflict with eac h other no easy task!One thing is certain membership of our union is in effect free to members who take advantage of our fringe benifits.
A message to GBC you cant kid a kidder
And to the scottish team will be up in sept look forward to some hopefully
interesting talks and of course a good craic.

correction previous para should read
BESIDES LONDON THE MOST FRUITFULBRANCHES continues...

And you cant bullsh*t a bullsh*ter



That bit is political spin of the worst possible type.



That bit shows an astounding ignorance of the trade



you seem to mention fringe benefits an awful lot, which is all well and good, but surely for the romantic at heart, its the heart and mind that needs to be part of any movement, not the fringe benefits?

I wish you the very best of luck in assisting drivers. But as anyone on this site will tell you, invariably they (drivers) approach you after the case has followed every possible path avoiding the hiring of legal people. Which usually means its going to start for you in magistrates then possibly further.

Irrespective of this, the loyalty factor of the trade is such that once you have assisted them, they will then stop their subs.

(Im being cynical aint I ? )



Please drop into Carlisle on your way past, my TOA will by you your tea and a pint of Guinness.

Captain Cab

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

Thanks to the captain for the good wishes.expect to pass Carlisle at about 10000ft and 300mph dropping in might prove difficult.
Not a member no legal representation have sex and travel!
Ignorant of the industry maybe out of London but of course unions unify industries by debating country wide.
Fringe benefits i agree but some members have saved as much as£3500 per year does tend to keep them in and then we bombard them with the propaganda and get them to meetings.Thery resign i stop fringe benefits tends to work.........

just a thought for the captain why not join us in jockland??????????