Taxi Driver Online

Minimum Wage – Important information 19 September 2013

Dear Operator

County Council has been receiving more and more reports stating that minimum wage is not being paid to some passenger assistants by operators.

Please note that we can request to see pay slips from operators to their staff as per the terms and conditions of contract and has a duty

7.10 The Council reserves the right to request proof of gross wages paid to Escorts.

Please ensure that all your staff are at least receiving minimum wage, because if your company is not paying minimum wage, they would be breaking the law. Breaking the law is seen as a major breach of contract and could result in contracts being terminated and your company being taken off the approved operator framework.

It is worth stating that this issue maybe becoming to light due to a discrepancy between how many hours an operator considers a passenger assistant to have worked and the opinion of the passenger assistant. Please ensure you are clear with your staff what their working hours are, when they start getting paid and when they finish getting paid. For example a passenger assistant may meet the taxi at the base however the operator does not pay until reached first pick up.

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

That is an interesting point, what if the first pick up is 3 hours from base. We have jobs like that in Leicestershire.

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Grandad,

Ive replied, we all know what goes on, unpaid family escorts and cash in hand to benefit claimants are just 2 issues

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

There could be a sudden reduction in escort numbers! (and silly escort-job tender prices)

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

Dream on !!

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

"escort" jobs going for £1 per loaded mile or less INCLUDING an escort will be loss leaders if the escort is on the NMW

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

It was going to come soon enough.

seems odd they are worried escorts might not hit the NMW but wont bother checking the taxi/PH makes a profit...

they didnt answer my email BTW

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

Our escorts had to be on the NMW, County Hall insisted on them being paid correctly. Years ago they were paid in the hand, they were happy so was the boss.

A few years ago they clamped down on cash in hand so the escorts had to be paid the NMW and on the books, many of them finished because they were pensioners or were claiming DLA.

That's when we lost most of our contracts because some firms round here aren't paying NMW and are paying cash in hand to their escorts therefore they can do it for nothing.

There will always be drivers out there with family members available to help out by doing the job for free or beer money or a couple of free taxis a day to and from the bookies/dole office etc. which enables the driver to get the contract by bidding cheap

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

If County hall insisted on it, then how did the other firms get away with it?

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Grandad,

That wont help if county want to see a payslip/N.I. number or P60 for the escort though will it

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

FFS dont tell my missus she should be getting paid, I told her she does it for love

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

Dunno.