A short while ago (June), due to over supply and a fall in demand, HAL's Heathrow Taxi Management (HTM), covertly introduced a close shop system. It only came to light when a new driver was refused a Tag.
HTM said it is has been necessary to implement a one out, one in system. They went on to say they would no longer be producing new ‘Tags’ and if drivers wanted one to work at Heathrow, they would have to go on a list.
This means waiting for a driver to die, retire or just hand their tag in. We’ve even been told they offer a reward of £10 to buy back unused tags.
The decision appears to have been supported by the GMB who said “And about time too”. Also allegedly in agreement is Unite central branch who objected to the induction of new drivers .
Apparently there are just 6,500 tags currently in circulation.
Are they insisting that the London Taxi trade is over supplied?
And yet are HAL appear to be turning more towards a trade that has four times as many vehicles/drivers than the London Cab Trade.
By doing this, they have created a virtual closed shop, a restriction on working practise and at a stroke, divided the trade into haves and have nots. While greasing they way clear for a PH take over.
Unfortunately the trades reps who seem to spend so much time out there, have been unable to negotiate an acceptable solution, but then they can’t even decide which representatives should actually be in trade meetings at any one time, allegedly acting more like schoolyard bully boys than professional trade representatives.
The airport has always been (and must remain) available to all who have done the knowledge, not just a privileged few.
If the tag system isn’t working then we need another system. If the feeder park system is full, then we need a different system to accommodate.
At present HAL are bending over backwards to accommodate Private Hire companies while continuing to work against our trade.
One trade rep has taken to twitter to try to explain the situation better. He said:
“The Feeder Park was full and spilling out onto, not only Newell Road but also the Perimeter.
Several new buildings have been built next to the Taxi Feeder Park and taxis block access to them and their respective Car Parks...”
He accused drivers of: not helping themselves, and said that occupants of the new buildings and World Business Centre have made complaints to HAL and the Police?
He went on to say that:
“Too many drivers were trying to get into the Feeder Park with waiting times increasing even though signs were posted saying the feeder was full”.
In his opinion: the trouble lays in the fact that 50% of ALL Drivers do not belong to a Trade Org....they do not contribute to
a) funds that pay for Legal opinions!
b) ideas on direct action!
So 11,000 approx paying over £180,000 a month is not enough to come up with ideas or funding ???
So this situation has got nothing to do with weak representation, it’s all come about because 50% of the trade refuse to give money to totally inadequate representers !!!
But then can you blame drivers for not wanting to be part of trade orgs or Unions who can’t even agree on who should attend trade meetings???
Drivers coming into the trade look for decent representation and to be honest, they are not impressed by what they are presently seeing.
In times of low demand, the trade has always suffered a backlash from over ranking. But by creating a closed shop at LAP, we are in danger of councils creating more closed shops at major ranks such as main line stations.
We now have street access disappearing on a daily basis.
Royal parks looking to exclude
Bus gates forcing traffic into more gridlock and yet the order of the day appears to all as wait and see.
TAXI LEAKS EXTRA BIT:
Heathrow has operated for many years with a cloud over its head.
Thought by many drivers to be the epitome of all that’s wrong in the trade as a whole. Three Orgs, three Unions who most of the time despise working with each other, causing weak representation.
When was the last time we saw a united trade protest?
The only trade org that gets a reaction now is the driver led ITA.
Drivers will never sign up 100% to orgs and unions who’s philosophy and behaviour is more akin to football supporters than trade representation.
A Solution Or More Jobs For The Boys?
Now we hear that a new system is to be implemented at Heathrow, an app based system!
Will this app be driver run?
Will someone else have their hand in our money bags??
Will we see so called privileged drivers within group being allocated prime jobs by the app???
What will come next???.....
- Will they withdraw tags from drivers who don't work there often enough?
- Will there be a surcharge put on tags to cover administration of this new scheme?
- Will so called Taxi managers be jumping the queues
- What next???....join our org or Union and we will get you your tag???
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