Taxi Driver Online

Taxi firms being investigated for failing to pay drivers for key worker trips

https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/news/wes ... g-18211123

Council are investigating claims from the union that drivers are complaining on a daily basis

Union chiefs have said taxi firms in Kirklees that fail to pass on payments to drivers transporting key school workers should face losing their operating licences.

Council bosses have promised to investigate claims that some taxi companies have not paid drivers as part of a schools transport contract.

But the authority's chair of licensing said withdrawing a licence could be unnecessarily punitive as all employed drivers would then lose their jobs.

The GMB union, whose members include taxi and private hire drivers, said officers were assured at the start of the coronavirus crisis that Kirklees Council would continue to pay taxi operators for school transport even if schools were closed.

The arrangement meant taxis could be used for the urgent delivery of food and supplies as well as transporting key workers across the borough in order to support local communities.

But in a development that has been described as "a potentially fraudulent scandal" GMB organiser Andrew Aldwinkle said the union was being contacted "most days" by drivers who have not been paid by their operator.

He said: "Taxi drivers have lost most of their income during the lockdown and to have this regular money withheld by greedy taxi bosses is another kick in the teeth."

The GMB has asked Kirklees Council "to investigate every incident where a taxi driver is not being paid" and to explore whether the actions of some operators is fraudulent.

The GMB has also suggested that a licence review take place if an operator is found to have been withholding money from drivers.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service understands that the council was first made aware of an issue a fortnight ago.

Officers are said to be undertaking a review.

The chair of the council's Licensing Committee, Clr Amanda Pinnock (Lab, Ashbrow), said it was "wrong" that money was not being passed on to drivers.

"Although the council has agreed they it will continue to pay them they expected the money to trickle down to drivers and that hasn't been happening."

She stressed that the issue related to just "one or two" taxi firms in Kirklees.

She added: "We are going to review and look at other options.

"It needs a council response. We need to have something in the contract that deals with something like this and with possibly some sort of reprimand.

"But it's counterproductive to take away an operator's licence because if that happens all the taxi drivers lose their jobs."

Clr Carole Pattison, the council's Cabinet Member for Learning, Aspiration and Communities, said: “We will thoroughly investigate this to make sure this money is going to the right people who need it most.

"Many taxi drivers are continuing to work to keep this vital service running for those who need it and we thank them for that.

"We have already contacted operators to inform them they should be passing payment on to the drivers but if we do find that this is not happening, we will take action."

And that's a licensing chair saying that.

But in respect of the substance of the article, i.e. firms not passing on government money to drivers, well all I can say is shock f***ing horror.

Tip of a very nasty and shameful iceberg.

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IDFIMH

It would be nice if our County Council would pay us the money so that we could pass it on to the drivers.

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Grandad,

Our council has has paid us and I have passed the payment to the drivers that work with us. The drivers also contributed 5% of their contract money so we could help a few other drivers that have a lesser run value

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

Nice jesture.

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IDFIMH