Terence Flanagan Branch Sec:
GMB.
Professional Drivers Branch Column
07958 275 339
Well here we go, start of another new year, and may I wish you all a happy new year.
Glad to see the column in
www.Press Cuttings Monthly.co.uk at last creating some debate so lets be brutally honest, when we were 1st asked to write this column it was on the basis of our success in London. Initially I was involved in setting up a drivers association unconnected with any trade union, through my political contacts I was able to build this association into the political arena, which enabled us to sit on the trade committee at the Public Carriage Office ( PCO ) and meet with various councillors, however it soon became apparent that we lacked the resources to enable us to recruit and lobby successfully, so with letters of recommendation from my previous union the GPMU. ( a print union ) I met with the T&G. they were extremely interested in the project but due to their commitment to the Black Cab trade in London they were unable to do business with us. So off we went to the GMB. who immediately saw the prospects and took us onboard. Initially our aims were the Private Hire industry solely in London, but it soon became obvious that chauffeurs, couriers, hackney carriage outside London all wished to become involved, so we have been taking them all into membership, who were we to deny fellow workers access to our vast range of fringe benefits ?
So yes our expertise is mainly centred in London, we are the union that obtained exemption from the London Congestion Charge, we have also saved drivers licences through court action, free to the member, against the PCO, and are lobbying on the issues of bus lane access, and parity with the Black Cabs on red routes on setting down and picking up. We are the only recognised trade union representing the Private Hire Trade in London, and indeed are very successful at it.
The licensing regime within London is still at the formulative stage and the unions contribution to this the biggest licensing operation in the world, we believe represents what could be regarded as best practice particularly on vehicle requirements, testing, liveries, etc: it should also be borne in mind that we have recently within London and hopefully nationwide solved the Insulin injecting Diabetes problem, drivers in London who can pass the C1 licence medical will now be issued with a PHV. Licence, as against the previous blanket ban on them.
To take this scenario across the nation is a huge task, and yet we are criticised for previous actions by for one the T&G. who we have NO connection with except for TUC affiliation, we are also taken to task about a statement allegedly made by a GMB official in Manchester which I have no knowledge of.
To take this further we need to look at the industries ie: hackney as well as private hire and chauffeur, and what we find is unrepresented drivers dealing with in excess of 200 separate licensing regimes many of which operate ambiguous regulations which leads to in effect chaos, what is legal in B is illegal in A, so how do we deal with these anomalies we would say organise with a national organisation which has political, financial, and organisational clout, ie: the GMB.
When we look at driver associations we find organisations lacking resources who despite the best will in the world are normally ineffective, we in the GMB can access government directly, I have and will be meeting government ministers on issues relating to our industries, we can and do access local authorities and ensure driver representation on all relevant committees.
Some driver associations have dubious practices, we are taking a legal opinion on the operation of a driver association in the midlands which charges £300 a year membership and insists it has the right to bar non members from ranks within its area, this appears to us to be illegal. This association cannot of course compete in any way with the fringe benefits, political clout etc: available within the GMB. But who else could afford to get this legal opinion and take on the case if needs be ? Example, a judicial review often read about in the press can cost in the region of £25,000.
We accept that most driver assc. are formed with the best intentions and the people concerned are dedicated and should be congratulated on their efforts, but what is coming now are a whole host of problems which these assc. will be unable to deal with. Lets list some, do we need 200 licensing regimes or would 10 be better ? I don’t know, but you must all have an opinion, so how do we deal with,
ROAD PRICING
AMBIGUOUS MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS
AMBIGUOUS CAR REQUIREMENTS
POLLUTING VEHICLES ( FUEL CELL TO COME ! )
EUROPEAN WORKING TIME REGULATIONS
BUS LANE AND RED ROUTE REGULATIONS
These are just a few of the issues we believe there should be a national policy on, we think in the main the London regulations represent best practice but to get these national policies we need a national negotiating body, ie: the GMB, if you are unhappy with previous policies espoused by the GMB join and change those policies, we know we do not have all the answers, our critics should take the organisation available to them and ensure it follows the right course, in effect very few GMB members pay any contributions because the fringe benefits come to more than the yearly contributions to the union if a member avails their self of the benefits.
We offer an open invite, let all interested parties meet anywhere in the country, the GMB will supply the venue and facilities, we accept that previous policies and activities of the trade union movement within these industries might not in the past have been deemed best practice, but the GMB is now under significantly different leadership our branch we believe has proved extremely beneficial to the whole industry in London. All across the country are GMB regions who will be instructed to recruit within the industry, over that will be a national and indeed international body that will ensure no ambiguity and best practice across the country. So there’s the invite come and join us, this huge and willing organisation awaits your guidance.
T. P. Flanagan
Branch Sec:
GMBPDB
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