Taxi Driver Online

Taxi branch leader quits union

Published on Tuesday 19 June 2012 11:22

The long-time leader of Wigan’s taxi drivers has quit with a broadside for union bosses.

Ronnie Melling has resigned his post from Britain’s biggest trade union, Unite, in a dispute over an alleged lack of support from full time officials.

The borough-wide Hackney Carriage Branch is currently fighting the council’s licensing department over a controversial stipulation that cabbies must use two town hall-nominated garages for their twice yearly MOT-style vehicle tests.

They claim that the ruling is a restriction of trade and want the right to choose any VOSA-appointed test centre and shop around for the best value.

Mr Melling, who has been branch secretary for almost a decade, said today he was sorry to quit the union but needed to make a stand because of their alleged inaction.

He said that the branch made a bid for cabs to be to be tested every six months at VOSA-appointed test centres (rather than solely at the council’s own centres) in a meeting with councillors at the regulation and licensing committee last December.

But members were disappointed at the alleged lack of support from the union in pressing the council for a re-think.

He said: “The main reason for my decision to resign is that Unite has refused to support us in taking Wigan Metro to judicial review, which is the only way forward.

“This is the first time in nine years we have asked for help, we have done everything for ourselves previously.

“I joined the union for solidarity to safeguard drivers’ livelihoods, not for sickness benefit or any other benefit.

“The leaders of this union seem to have lost sight of this, so hand on heart, I can’t say to drivers ‘you should join the union’ because at least with my AA membership if I’m in trouble they will help, that’s why I pay.

“But this has left me wondering ‘why am I paying union subs?’”

Mr Melling said that the Department for Transport had confirmed that they could use any VOSA accredited MOT centre.

There was no one available from Unite for comment.

Source; http://www.wigantoday.net/news/local-ne ... -1-4658704

_________________
Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

Type a message, post your news,
Disagree with other members' views;
But please, do have some decorum,
When debating on the TDO Forum.

They're too busy doing training mate!!!

_________________
Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

Type a message, post your news,
Disagree with other members' views;
But please, do have some decorum,
When debating on the TDO Forum.

we have to use the garages on the designated list don't most cabbies sounds like a big row over very little more fool him

_________________
lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

Good move, but I'm surprised it took him that long to work out they are only interested in taxi quotas and training.

_________________
IDFIMH

Ta Ta then, walker.

They've got it good, we can only use one garage and that's the Council Depot on Station Road in Sutton in Ashfield.

'What have the Union ever done for us?!'
Ha ha, heard this before haven't we?
Better buy a hat lads, cos that's the only place you'll find change in this town!

Some unions are good, sadly Unite is in the opposite pile.

_________________
IDFIMH

If our local rep is anything to go by, one wonders why anyone would give a penny to this self serving institution.

3 of our local councils insist MOT's (Compliance) are done at the largest of the local councils depots. True you pay the full VOSA MOT fee, but what you don't get is the garage "finding" faults that they need to fix before they can issue MOT.

_________________
Nobody told me to use my initiative. To err is human to arr is pirate.