Taxi Driver Online

A CONSERVATIVE councillor who has been ditched by his party is embroiled in a legal dispute over unpaid wages to a driver who worked for his company.

A County Court claim has been made by Murray Rich against Cllr Graham Sinclair, of Chingford Green ward, who was acquitted of benefit fraud last year.

Mr Rich, 42, who was contracted to Cllr Sinclair’s cab firm Valleyside Cars, received a cheque from the company for £103 in November.

But the cheque was returned to the father-of-two stamped “return to drawer”, leading him to conclude it had bounced.

Mr Rich claims Mr Sinclair then repeatedly promised to pay him, but by January the money had not been forthcoming.

The driver, of Priory Road, Loughton, then wrote to Cllr Sinclair twice asking for payment.

He then lost patience and filed a County Court claim for the money,plus costs.

Cllr Sinclair responded by promising to pay the money by March 1, but the deadline passed.

Mr Rich said: “It is not much money, I know, but it is the principle.

“The way he has treated me has been disgraceful.”

Cllr Sinclair says he stopped the cheque because Mr Rich had been breaking rules by advertising his business in unlicensed areas, a claim denied by Mr Rich.

The councillor said it has always been his intention to pay but has so failed to explain why Mr Rich has not received his money.

Cllr Sinclair was deselected by the Conservatives because of his failure to inform the group at an early stage that he was being investigated for benefit fraud.

Referring to the dispute with Mr Rich, Conservative group leader Matt Davis, said: “This is a private issue between Graham and one of his drivers in which we are not going to interfere.

“However, the Conservative group is very disappointed to learn that Graham has got himself into trouble again.”

Cllr Sinclair said: “This is an internal dispute between myself and a driver subcontracted to me.

“I reject the Conservatives saying I am in trouble again because I was not in trouble before, I was found totally innocent.

“If the Conservative group wants to take that attitude then so be it.”

Cllr Sinclair said that he has now written to the court offering to pay the full amount.

http://www.guardian-series.co.uk/news/wfnews/

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

How many unlicensed areas are there?

And even if the driver was iffy, well don't use him and run up a bill you can't pay.

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IDFIMH