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Edinburgh Unite stages protest outside Scottish Parliament
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Author:  StuartW [ Wed Dec 16, 2020 6:46 pm ]
Post subject:  Edinburgh Unite stages protest outside Scottish Parliament
'Today I’ve been out since 9am and made £50. That is less than minimum wage' - Furious taxi drivers protest outside Holyrood to demand more cash help

https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/ ... lp-3069552

Furious Edinburgh cabbies will protest outside Holyrood on Wednesday to demand more “tangible” cash help, after a survey showed taxi drivers are struggling to survive.

Drivers with over 30 vehicles will stage a rolling demonstration at the roundabouts outside the Scottish Parliament between 11.30am and noon.

Union reps said cabbies are fuming that a fund announced by the First Minister on November 17 to provide cash help to businesses severely hit by Covid-19 will see drivers in Scotland get just a one-off payment of up to £500.

Drivers said they are “shocked and disappointed” after it was disclosed at a meeting with civil servants on Tuesday that the £30 million discretionary fund for businesses and taxi drivers would mean that for 38,000 drivers across Scotland payments would be no more than £500, even if drivers are full-time owner operators.

They also slammed delays getting the cash to drivers, which COSLA confirmed has not yet been released to Local Authorities.

The Union has repeated its calls for more dedicated cash help in what is traditionally the busiest time of the year for the trade, after a survey from the union criticised ‘loopholes’ in a number of Scottish and UK government schemes which have led to drivers being unable to access financial support if drivers don’t have rateable premises or operate business bank accounts. If drivers are not in receipt of Universal Credit or legacy benefits then they are also ineligible for a self-isolation support grant.

Responses to the survey of over 200 taxi drivers has revealed the devastating impact on the trade, with drivers regularly working 16-17-hour days with a shift being determined as having been ‘good’ if £50 is cleared.

It showed 30 per cent of drivers have not got any financial help from government support schemes.

Unite Scotland is demanding the Scottish Government adopt similar targeted schemes such as in Northern Ireland and Wales to support the trade.

In Northern Ireland, taxi drivers can get a £1500 grant as part of a support fund.

They are also asking for the suspension of licensing fees that are payable to local councils for the next 12 months and called on Holyrood to engage directly with finance companies to negotiate a reduction in increased debt due to payment holidays.

Andy Taylor, an Edinburgh taxi driver said: “We are so angry. It’s clear they don't understand what we are up against, especially owner operators who have significant costs. They have asked us how we want the money from this fund to be given out. That’s not the point. It’s about getting the right help to people. We need something more tangible. Today, I’ve been out since 9am and made £50. That is less than minimum wage.”

A COSLA spokesperson said: “We are expecting a scheme to be forthcoming from Scottish Government, to be delivered by local government, and this scheme will provide grants to taxi drivers, the criteria for which is currently being worked on by Scottish Government.

“Local Government wants to see the resource get to where it is needed as quickly as possible and therefore it is hoped to have this scheme and running as soon as is possible.”
Author:  StuartW [ Wed Dec 16, 2020 6:47 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Edinburgh Unite stages protest outside Scottish Parliame
There's also a nifty wee video here on Twitter, with Unite's Edinburgh branch secretary explaining things on camera:

https://twitter.com/EdinReporter/status ... 7492004870

Wish these people wouldn't be so vague with the figures and the language used to describe them. I mean, £50 'made' or 'cleared' probably sounds like £50 profit to the general public, but I suspect it's total fares or takings.

So £50 probably doesn't sound too bad to the average reader given what some people are enduring at the moment.

On the other hand, I'd be cock-a-hoop with £50 a shift at the moment, and with the SEISS I'd probably be better off than normal, although I don't have radio fees and the car is paid off. But if you're paying fuel out of the £50, and office fees and repayments on a motor, you're basically working for nothing :?

So these figures don't really mean that much in reality.

Likewise, in the video the branch secretary says that normally drivers would 'walk away' with £150 a day during normal times ](*,)
Author:  Sussex [ Wed Dec 16, 2020 8:13 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Edinburgh Unite stages protest outside Scottish Parliame
Quote:
Likewise, in the video the branch secretary says that normally drivers would 'walk away' with £150 a day during normal times ](*,)

Image
Author:  StuartW [ Thu Dec 17, 2020 7:31 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Edinburgh Unite stages protest outside Scottish Parliame
Quote:
A COSLA spokesperson said: “We are expecting a scheme to be forthcoming from Scottish Government, to be delivered by local government, and this scheme will provide grants to taxi drivers, the criteria for which is currently being worked on by Scottish Government.

Will be interesting to see the criteria, and how it's 'delivered' by local councils :roll:

But will be more interesting on a personal basis, because instead of simply reading numbers from an authority hundreds of miles away, I'll have more of an idea about the people who are eligible [-(

Anyhow, I've seen the figure of £500 mentioned in another article, which is kind of what I was guessing based on the overall size of the pot and the number of drivers etc. Or, at least, I was assuming it would be a few hundred pounds rather than £100 or a couple of grand.

Of course, I'd prefer it to be the latter, but since this seems to be over and above the SEISS grants then I would imagine it's more than the sums most south of the border are getting from local government, which I'm guessing is NIL for the vast majority. And it seems that drivers in Wales and Northern Ireland are getting more, but I'm taking with a pinch of salt Unite's claims that drivers in Wales are getting £2-4k. Maybe some are getting money like that, but I doubt it's across the board.

Anyway, will be interesting to see how it's applied here. I mean, badges, plates, or what?

Since we have three year plates and badges here I wouldn't be surprised if some get a grant who have effectively left the trade and have no intention of returning :roll:

Anyhow, no doubt all will be revealed in the next week or two :-|
Author:  StuartW [ Tue Dec 22, 2020 4:05 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Edinburgh Unite stages protest outside Scottish Parliame
Nothing particularly new here, but looks like we'll defo be getting £500 each up here [-(

But no specifics on how it'll be divied up, eg drivers who don't have a plate, or multi-plate holders :-k

Which is maybe what's meant when it says the payments are being delayed to avoid 'duplication of payments'.


Scottish taxi drivers 'short-changed' by Nicola Sturgeon, claim Labour

https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/ ... ur-3076092

Taxi drivers have been left in financial difficulty by the Scottish Government’s lack of sufficient support for the industry, Richard Leonard has claimed.

The Scottish Labour leader accused Nicola Sturgeon of ‘short-changing’ Scottish cabbies due to the delay to grants being awarded and to the total amount of financial support available.

In Northern Ireland, taxi drivers are able to claim one-off grants of £1,500, while in Wales grants of up to £4,000 are open to the industry.

Taxi drivers in Scotland will be able to apply for a one-off grant of £500 which will open for applications in January and comes after a discretionary fund for local authorities was created in November worth £30m.

In a response to a letter from Mr Leonard, the First Minister states the support from that fund has been delayed to avoid duplication of payments following the announcement of a specific, £19m fund for the industry, at the request of councils.

Mr Leonard reacted by saying the offer is “too little and too late” and said taxi drivers will be facing an “even bleaker Christmas” than prior to the announcement of a post-Christmas lockdown.

He added the delay to payments added “insult to injury” and called on the Scottish Government to match the funding available in Wales.

He said: "Nicola Sturgeon has short changed Scotland's cabbies, with an offer that is too little and too late.

"It's also possible that they will be called on again to ferry Covid infected patients to and from hospitals, given the discovery of this new strain of the virus.

"In light of this, it's simply not enough to offer cabbies facing these very real risks just £500.

"The First Minister must also fast track this support so that cabbies get it as close to Christmas as possible, given the losses they are facing.

"A failure to do the right thing here would be to let down Scotland's cabbies in the most difficult of circumstances."

In her response to Mr Leonard’s letter, the First Minister said she understands the “particularly acute” pressures on the taxi industry.

She said: “I appreciate that the challenges facing this sector as a result of Covid-19 restrictions and regulations are particularly acute given the high fixed costs associated with operating and maintaining their vehicles.

"With our vaccination programme now in operation and the promise that this brings of reopening our economy next year, we are committed to supporting as many businesses and self-employed people through the difficult months that lie ahead and that includes taxi and private hire vehicle drivers.

"The specifics of this funding package and how it will be delivered are to be set out in the coming days but it is intended to support taxi and private hire drivers in meeting the fixed costs associated with operating their vehicles and other business expenses through the provision of a one-off grant of £500.

"We cannot make up for all the losses that businesses and self-employed people have and are experiencing as a result of Covid-19 given constraints on our funding but this additional financial support will provide an important an much needed source of support for taxi drivers and others through the challenging months ahead.”
Author:  Sussex [ Tue Dec 22, 2020 7:58 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Edinburgh Unite stages protest outside Scottish Parliame
Quote:
"It's also possible that they will be called on again to ferry Covid infected patients to and from hospitals, given the discovery of this new strain of the virus.

I suspect we all have been carrying covid infected people since this time last year. :-$
Author:  Sussex [ Tue Dec 22, 2020 8:00 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Edinburgh Unite stages protest outside Scottish Parliame
Quote:
Nothing particularly new here, but looks like we'll defo be getting £500 each up here [-(

Why the cross smilie?

Cos it's £500 more than I'm getting.
Author:  StuartW [ Tue Dec 22, 2020 8:20 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Edinburgh Unite stages protest outside Scottish Parliame
Sussex wrote:
Quote:
Nothing particularly new here, but looks like we'll defo be getting £500 each up here [-(

Why the cross smilie?

Was actually using the smilie in 'smug ba$tard' mode :-o

Here's another one :badgrin:
Author:  Sussex [ Tue Dec 22, 2020 8:31 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Edinburgh Unite stages protest outside Scottish Parliame
StuartW wrote:
Sussex wrote:
Quote:
Nothing particularly new here, but looks like we'll defo be getting £500 each up here [-(

Why the cross smilie?

Was actually using the smilie in 'smug ba$tard' mode :-o

Here's another one :badgrin:


Image
Author:  rashid [ Wed Dec 23, 2020 8:18 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Edinburgh Unite stages protest outside Scottish Parliame
I do not understand why all taxi drivers are complaining my work is Down 90% as our only main source of income was the train station and weekend nights now with not many people coming off the trains And pubs clubs closed drivers are lucky to make £10 a day here, personally I only went out on weekends when the pubs re opened and when the 10pm curfew came in I didn’t bother again as I have been spending time with my children and wife and March - July I didn’t earn anything just went out weekends July - mid September and since then haven’t earned a single penny but with the Self employment grant been helping me out as it’s only a percentage shy of how much I would of normally be earning and I am not complaining a single bit actually having the best time of my life spending time with my family not having to go to work and still being paid with the Grant.

Don’t understand why taxi drivers are all over the country complaining if the government is giving them the grant and they are still working they should consider themselves lucky as they are earning more than they normally would be as the grant is giving them and also making extra by working .
Author:  Sussex [ Wed Dec 23, 2020 8:24 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Edinburgh Unite stages protest outside Scottish Parliame
You don't understand that some people have massive business overheads and maybe massive personal overheads.

Most could like on the grant no problem if they didn't have huge outgoings.
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