tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71745007297277504482024-03-21T00:05:03.524+00:00RMT Heathrow Taxis.Welcome to the blogsite of members of the RMT London Taxi Branch who work Heathrow Airport.London Taxi Branch RMThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07127397443264820753noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7174500729727750448.post-68315725369239423862012-06-22T07:49:00.000+01:002012-06-22T07:49:27.768+01:00HEATHROW BYELAWS<br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><a href="http://spiritoflondontaxi.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/we-still-dont-seem-to-have-been-able-to.html">Heathrow Byelaws?</a></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">We still don't seem to have been able to get to grips with the number of drivers who don't go through the Taxi Feeder Park at Heathrow Airport. It is a legal requirement that ALL taxi drivers pass through the TFP before proceeding to the terminals' ranks.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"> The taxi ranks at Heathrow are like any other taxi ranks in the GLA Area, or the Met Police Area, as it used to be known. The only difference is that at Heathrow there are byelaws that have to be observed. These byelaws state:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><i>9(10) Taxi feeder park;</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><i>No person shall drive a Taxi on to an Authorised Standing without having first driven through a Taxi Feeder Park unless at the direction or with the consent of a Constable, a traffic warden in uniform, an Airport Official or the Airport Company.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"> Now this is where BAA/HAL seems to think that it's okay to allow a select band of drivers of their choosing the right to by-pass the TFP on a permanent basis. The wording of the byelaw is being misinterpreted for the convenience of BAA, rather than for the real reason why <i>"a Constable, a traffic warden in uniform, an Airport Official or the Airport Company"</i> may direct or allow a driver to proceed to an <i>"Authorised Standing"</i> without first going through the TFP. Isn't it clear that this byelaw was put there to enable authorised persons to direct taxis directly to the ranks on the rare occasions when there may be unusual or extraordinary reasons for doing so? This could be in times of emergency, high levels of traffic around the airport, or a number of other unusual circumstances. I firmly believe that this confusion could be cleared up in a Court of law, but more on that later.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">So who are these drivers who are a select band that have been allowed to by-pass the Taxi Feeder Park? Well, they are made up of three separate groups and they are:</span></div>
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<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"> Taxi trade officials from Unite (the union) and the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association (LTDA).</span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Taxi marshals</span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Certain members and so called "officials" of the private company, Heathrow Airport Licensed Taxis Society, or HALTS.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"> All of these are working taxi drivers that possess no skills or authority over and above those of any other working taxi driver, except that they are all part of this select band of privileged drivers. So why are they allowed such status over their other colleagues? The reason is simple! It is because it suits BAA/HAL to have drivers of "importance" on their side. The last thing BAA/HAL wants is for taxi drivers at Heathrow to assert their rights in a proper and forthright way. This would undermine the possible intention of the airport operator to "deregulate" the taxi operation at Heathrow in a similar way that it did when it was the Airport Operator at Gatwick some years ago. There, drivers have to work under the terms and conditions set by the taxi operator that has won the contract to offer its services at Gatwick. No such thing exists at Heathrow, because there, any taxi driver who holds an All London Taxi License can work at Heathrow Airport without the need to do so through a third party company. BAA doesn't seem to like this one bit, and it would appear that the best way to deal with this situation is to undermine it. And this is where the role of the "Privileged" driver comes in.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"> Unite and the LTDA</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">These two taxi trade organisations have had a presence at Heathrow airport for over 40 years, and have managed to establish themselves as the "official" voice of the London taxi trade. Time has seen a number of other trade organisations emerge at Heathrow over the years, but these two have managed to hold a dominant position despite this. In 1993 members of these two trade organisations were persuaded that it would be a good idea to set up a drivers' mutual society to promote the needs of all taxi drivers at Heathrow; this would enable all drivers at Heathrow to join an organisation that looked after their interests, even if they weren't members of another trade organisation, including Unite and the LTDA. This was the birth of Heathrow Airport Licensed Taxis Limited, or "HALT" as it became known.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">HALT suffered years of mismanagement, and was beset with problems because of a poorly written rule book. I won't go into the detail here because it is too long winded and would require a separate and lengthy article to cover its history! Suffice to say, the executive committee took advantage of the flaws in the society's rules and systematically went about transferring its business and assets to a private company that they have set up with a similar sounding name, all without the consent of the members. That company now operates at Heathrow with funding from non-consenting drivers who are forced to pay a levy to it every time they enter the TFP. This company is registered at Companies House under the name "Heathrow Airport Licensed Taxis Society", or "HALTS".This is the company that produces the infamous Blue Vouchers that have caused so much controversy at Heathrow; but more on that another time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">So, back to the privileged drivers: Unite and the LTDA have regular meetings with BAA/HAL on a random basis to discuss taxi trade issues; usually once every month or two. There are two other trade organisations that also have trade reps who attend these meetings, and they are the London Cab Drivers Club (LCDC) and Heathrow Airport Taxi Drivers United (HATDU). The trade reps that represent Unite and the LTDA do not pass through the TFP, but have been given the dubious authority to park close to it and receive a large reduction in the amount of time that other drivers have to wait before being sent from the TFP to the ranks. They also have office space provided for them in the TFP compound to conduct business. Reps from both the LCDC and HATDU do not receive this perk, not because BAA won't allow it, but because they choose not to accept it. These reps know that it is inherently wrong, and have stated as much on many occasions. This begs the question, why do they agree to sit down alongside other trade reps who do accept this perk when they know that it isn't right? Herein lies one of the problems we have as taxi drivers at Heathrow. Unless those taxi trade reps who know that this is wrong come out and state it as a condition for attending meetings with BAA, the stagnated situation drivers find themselves in won't change and the status quo at Heathrow won't ever change either. A line needs to be drawn between what is, and what is not acceptable behaviour before ordinary drivers receive proper representation at Heathrow.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"> Marshals.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"> This one will seem very strange to anyone who doesn't know how the taxi trade at Heathrow has managed to get its own "private army" of tout-busters. The airport operator (HAL) has an obligation to provide security at Heathrow, and does so by allocating funds to the police and employing its own security staff. Security at Heathrow is a major concern for travellers because the reality of a terrorist attack is currently set at "substantial" according to the Home Office website. This means that an attack is a strong possibility, and security at all places where large numbers of the public gather should reflect that. Unfortunately, HAL and the police seem to think that the passenger terminals at Heathrow are worthy of untrained taxi drivers to report "taxi touting and any suspicious behaviour" that may occur. I'm not sure that I would feel too safe in a crowded airport terminal knowing that taxi drivers were sometimes the only visible means of security, but that is what happens at Heathrow airport.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">There are around 40 taxi drivers who "volunteer" to act as taxi marshals at Heathrow, and these drivers do not receive any payment from either the police or BAA for their time spent patrolling the terminals. A shift usually means walking around the terminals for about an hour or so, and then these drivers are free to go back to work as taxi drivers. What they do receive, in the form of compensation, is a reduction in the time they would normally have to wait in the Taxi Feeder Park before being sent down to the pick up a fare from one of the terminals. Just like all the other "privileged" drivers, they receive a reduction of around 1/3 of the time that their ordinary colleagues have to wait. There are times when the wait can be anything from 4 to 5 hours. This means that taxi marshals can get to pick up a fare at least one hour ahead of those who are compelled to go through the TFP. Over any period of time this can be a very lucrative advantage over their colleagues who have to wait behind them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Not only that, but if they do a late shift marshalling, they can take a fare the next day without any wait whatsoever. They then come back to the airport and do yet another ride without having to wait, in lieu of another stint of marshalling later on that day. This offers a huge financial advantage that many other drivers rightfully resent. This all adds to the divide and rule culture that HAL seems so keen to encourage within the London taxi trade. But is this a price worth paying when you consider the risk that it poses to airport security? It is for professional police officers who have the proper training and powers of arrest who should be doing this, not inadequately trained taxi drivers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">The fact that the police can save some of its budget this way is not good enough, especially when London is about to host the Olympic Games. If security is breached at Heathrow because of a lack of policing when the Games come to town, there will be some very embarrassing questions that will have to be answered. In the meantime, Heathrow by-laws are being ignored by BAA/HAL on a daily basis, and this in itself is enough to bring the airport operator to book.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Heathrow Airport Licensed Taxis Society (HALTS)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"> This group really is the crème de la crème when it comes to perks and privileges. I mentioned the origins of HALTS earlier under the heading Unite and the LTDA, but it is only when you look at what this company does receive in the way of perks and privileges that it is possible to know how BAA/HAL seems to have orchestrated a "them and us" situation within the London taxi trade.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">To say that BAA/HAL and HALTS are partners, as HAL officials often state, is to miss the point. The reality is that it is a one sided affair where one group - HAL - tolerates the other group - HALTS - for its own ends. To quote Franklin D. Roosevelt ‘Theymay be bastards, but they are our bastards.'</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">So what are these "perks and privileges"?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">To start with, the directors of HALTS receive a payment of at least 78 pence every time a driver enters the Taxi Feeder Park. This is compulsory as HAL collects this charge within the entry fee. This equates to around £700,000 per year! This money is subsidising a company that has managed to enter into an agreement with BAA/HAL which elevates it as the "preferred taxi provider" for Heathrow Airport. Part of this agreement means that the HALTS web-site is linked to the official Heathrow website. This is a major boost for any company that offers its services to travellers at the airport.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Without this money it is unlikely that HALTS would be able to survive in the real world, let alone compete with any opposition. So when our passengers approach the taxi desks in the terminals they are encouraged to pay by credit card and the passenger may then be taken out to the taxi rank as a fixed fare journey, but often these passengers never get to see the front of the taxi rank but are spirited away by a taxi that hasn't been through the TFP - fixed fares into London are illegal if they are priced above the metered fare. All this is done by HALTS to "help" their colleagues in the London taxi trade at Heathrow; but the question has to be asked, who are these "colleagues"? It is now common knowledge that the price the passenger pays is between 17-25% more than the driver gets paid; so yet another little earner for HALTS at the drivers' expense, and let's not forget, the driver has already been forced to pay a levy to HALTS when passing through the Taxi Feeder Park!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">The fact that HALTS has a website means that bookings from passengers can be taken. When the passenger arrives at Heathrow it is anybody's guess whether that job will go to the front of one of the taxi ranks or elsewhere. Many of these jobs are in fact being put in taxis that driven by HALTS' "colleagues". Colin Evans of HALTS has been spotted on many occasions waiting inside the terminals with a name-board! Could this be yet another little earner?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Conclusion</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Until all drivers are forced to go through the Taxi Feeder Park, as the Heathrow byelaws state, there will never be fairness at this airport for ordinary taxi drivers. Until Unite the union takes some action against its members who are taking full advantage of exploiting this loop-hole in the system, there will never be fairness at this airport for ordinary taxi drivers, and until the marshals accept that they must receive a more equitable form of compensation for their labours, there will never be fairness or satisfaction for ordinary taxi drivers at this airport. But most importantly, until HALTS directors accept that drivers do not willingly pay a levy to their company, and start to develop their business without our help, there will never be fairness at this airport for ordinary taxi drivers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Earlier on I stated that it might be possible to force BAA to accept that its interpretation of the byelaws is flawed, and that this could be cleared up in a Court of Law. It is not easy to do this because there are costs involved, and BAA is well known for fronting anyone who tries to force it to do anything. There was a case last year where BAA decided to evict two companies from the forecourts. These two companies had a legal right to be there, but nonetheless, BAA told them that they could no longer offer a meet and greet service on the forecourts. These two companies decided to take the matter to the High Court; a very bold and expensive thing to do, but they won the case after 10 days. The cost of this legal action was £1.5 million, and the two companies were awarded two thirds of their costs. This meant that even though they were right to challenge BAA, they still had to pay £250,000 in legal fees.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">So what chance has the London taxi trade of getting BAA to accept that it is wrong to allow so many taxi drivers to by-pass the TFP on a permanent basis? I think that there could be a way, because as they say, there's more than one to skin a cat. </span></div>
</blockquote>London Taxi Branch RMThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07127397443264820753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7174500729727750448.post-80201617156443472072011-12-06T15:34:00.002+00:002011-12-08T07:16:08.571+00:00NEW WEBSITE<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">The RMT London taxi branch is currently working on a new website that will have links to all sections. This will be much more convenient for users, rather than having to search for each blog. This will be a huge improvement, and we will continue to keep drivers informed of all the issues affecting the London taxi trade.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">The new website can be found at:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"> </span><a href="http://www.rmtlondontaxidrivers.webs.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #336699; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; text-decoration: none;">http://www.rmtlondontaxidrivers.webs.com/</a>London Taxi Branch RMThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07127397443264820753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7174500729727750448.post-71972620992157580112011-08-01T03:22:00.003+01:002011-08-01T03:28:19.489+01:00TAXI FEEDER PARK INCREASE 2011: PART II<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strong> Remember</strong></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strong><span style="font-size: small;"> The Taxi Feeder Park entry fee will be £6.54 from Monday 1 August 2011</span></strong></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">BAA announced a 26pence increase in the Taxi Feeder Park entry fee on July 11th, rather than the 34pence suggested in <strong>"The Taxi Feeder Park-Price Review Consultation Document 2011".</strong>This increase would have included a 2pence rise in the amount handed over to the private company Heathrow Airport Licensed Taxis Society (HALTS) bringing the HALT levy, as it is properly known, up to 80pence.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">The taxi trade at Heathrow is unanimous in its rejection of any more money going to this company, and a further meeting was held with those trade reps that BAA will talk to on Monday 25th July 2011. The RMT London taxi branch replied to the BAA proposals rejecting the notion that any money should be going to a private company, let alone increasing the amount we are already forced to hand over. Many of the suggestions put forward in our response now seem to have made their way onto the agenda for further discussion. Funny how BAA doesn't want anything to do with the RMT but seems to listen, for fear of upsetting the trade, when the RMT puts forward suggestions that would be very difficult to disagree with.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">The outcome of this meeting seems to have pacified some of those trade reps that were at this last meeting, but I don't think they have gained anything when BAA agreed to reduce the proposed TFP entry fee increase from 26pence to 24pence. This reduction may seem as though HALTS won't now be getting their 2pence after all, but does it? It would appear that there is a twist in the tail, and the taxi trade has been wrong footed by BAA after it was revealed that HALTS will be getting a 2pence increase after all.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">BAA has stated that it will pay the increase to HALTS out of its own portion of the TFP fee! How is the taxi trade supposed to swallow this little gem? After all, the money that we pay to BAA is for the running of the Taxi Feeder Park, not for awarding its pet company more of our money. The trade has been sold yet another pup by BAA, and it seems to have done the trick. No wonder BAA doesn't want the RMT at any of these meetings! This piece of chicanery has not gone unnoticed.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Looks as though the HUTG has done another good job for its members. What, you may ask is the HUTG?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Apparently it is Heathrow's version of the UCG, which is a loose affiliation of taxi trade organisations consisting of Unite, the LTDA and the LCDC. The HUTG consists of HATDU, Unite, the LTDA and the LCDC. The irony is that this is all done in the name of "trade unity". United in what? Well anyone with half a brain can clearly see that this so called "trade unity" is nothing more than a ludicrous attempt at <strong><u>excluding</u></strong> the RMT. You only have to take a look at the LTDA Taxi paper to see the pathetic lies and misinformation that emanates from Woodfield Road. It is known as the "Stop the RMT" campaign.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">The sadness of all this is that there are members of these other trade orgs that actually believe what they are told by trade leaders who do very little for their money, except waste time finding ways of keeping the RMT on the outside. What was that you were saying about "trade unity"? The only people to suffer from all this is working taxi drivers and their families. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Join the RMT today and stop the further decline of the London taxi trade.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div>London Taxi Branch RMThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07127397443264820753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7174500729727750448.post-58323638733238175812011-07-13T06:24:00.009+01:002011-07-16T21:30:37.039+01:00TAXI FEEDER PARK INCREASE: 2011<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUtZl1prXGOpW-QRySO6uw7N8lQgLQclzGaYLpMnoM5UrY5-ubjIr8b0b00V36DFEb8nwxGxx2KQtIk3tr1M0_NioyMIhwUh7Fq6jamu6Ttbo1u1B4M5zDQXQ0VTDK5lflBLaoArXhSgY/s1600/RMT_green_%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="106px" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUtZl1prXGOpW-QRySO6uw7N8lQgLQclzGaYLpMnoM5UrY5-ubjIr8b0b00V36DFEb8nwxGxx2KQtIk3tr1M0_NioyMIhwUh7Fq6jamu6Ttbo1u1B4M5zDQXQ0VTDK5lflBLaoArXhSgY/s200/RMT_green_%25282%2529.jpg" width="200px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">BAA has now announced the proposed Taxi Feeder Park increase for 2011 which will take effect from August 1 2011. This year's increase is later than usual and, along with the debacle that the trade was subjected to last year, there is controversy over the proposals, yet again.</div><br />
The RMT response to BAA's proposed TFP increase this year makes it clear that the London taxi trade at Heathrow is no longer prepared to tolerate the continued undermining of its right to protect its own interests against those of a handful of carpet-bagging taxi drivers with the support of BAA.<br />
<br />
This year the whole trade is unanimous in its opposition to an increase in the amount of money already handed over to the very unpopular private company, Heathrow Airport Licensed Taxis Society (HALTS).<br />
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In its TFP increase consultation document, BAA proposed an increase of 34pence bringing the entry fee up from £6.30 to £6.64. It was generally accepted that this would be broken down to as follows;<br />
<br />
BAA to receive extra 29 pence<br />
taking its part of the TFP up from £5.52 to £5.81<br />
HALTS to receive extra 5pence<br />
taking its part of the TFP up from <u> £0.78 to £0.83</u><br />
Total: £6.30 £6.64<br />
<br />
The anticipated announcement by BAA arrived as scheduled on Monday 11 July with the following;<br />
<br />
BAA to receive an extra £0.24<br />
HALTS to receive and extra £0.02<br />
<br />
This would bring the TFP entrance fee up to £6.56.<br />
<br />
Whilst it is customary for the annual TFP increase to be rather less than that initially proposed, any further increase in the amount paid over to HALTS was dismissed as unacceptable by all trade reps from every trade organisation at Heathrow, bar none. The slogan has been "Not a penny more!"<br />
<br />
Despite this BAA has decided, in its infinite wisdom, to inflame an already controversial issue and ignore the wishes of all legitimate trade representatives at Heathrow. It would appear that the taxi trade at Heathrow has had its worst fears confirmed. Those fears are that BAA has chosen to listen to the voice of one person only, and that person has never legally gained the consent of any driver to represent taxi drivers' interests at Heathrow Airport.<br />
<br />
For anyone who cannot understand the significance of what this all means I have this to say:<br />
<em>The legitimate rights and privileges that your Bill gives you are being blatantly undermined by a concerted attempt to take away the protection that both the Hackney Carriage Act and the Airports Act gives you. This is not about an extra 2p, this is about the future of the London taxi trade at Heathrow. </em><br />
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The RMT London Taxi Branch (Heathrow) response to the proposed TFP increase can be seen below.<em> </em><br />
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<br />
<strong><span style="font-size: large;">BAA Taxi Feeder Park- Price Review Consultation Document 2011.</span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">RMT Response:</span></strong><br />
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The TFP Price Review Consultation process took place without invitations from BAA for the RMT to attend any meetings convened for the purpose of this important process. Despite this, the RMT London Taxi Branch (Heathrow) has been kept fully informed of the details of all meetings that have taken place through the Taxi Feeder Park Network, and is fully conversant with the issues.<br />
<br />
BAA will no doubt be aware by now that the RMT London Taxi Branch (Heathrow), along with HALT members, is in dispute with the Heathrow Airport Licensed Taxis Limited (HALT) de-facto committee and has taken the first steps in a legal resolution to this problem. With this in mind, it will be apparent that the RMT and HALT members do not recognise the assertion made by either BAA or Heathrow Airport Licensed Taxis Society (HALTS) that an increase for the part of the TFP entry fee, known as the HALT Levy, should be made.<br />
<br />
The RMT London Taxi Branch (Heathrow) does not recognise the legitimacy of any part of the HALT Levy being paid over to any mutual society, industrial and provident co-operative or private limited company, whether limited by shares or guarantee, other than Heathrow Airport Licensed Taxis Limited (HALT). The right of HALT to raise funds for the provision of taxi information desks through the TFP Levy was established by the Competition Commission (CC) and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) in 2003, and was endorsed by such bodies as Unite (T&G), Licensed Taxi Drivers Association (LTDA) London Taxi Drivers Club (LCDC) and Heathrow Airport Consultative Committee (HACC).<br />
<br />
A Freedom of Information request to the CAA revealed no evidence that it had either endorsed or recommended any changes to this situation, except that it did extract from its files the following;<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUTe4kidh3RXuBwQ5WDlKv7D18lDpeo830qaFtIQcwCixp6vYqMyqQsjk6HTsOhm8iNueq4TkiSyhFVWZE8Xlm1pJVBpko_MJyqYnClOsXIsRdVNmqXEdsUgnudnCNUOBFR3xvPsQYT8E/s1600/contract.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUTe4kidh3RXuBwQ5WDlKv7D18lDpeo830qaFtIQcwCixp6vYqMyqQsjk6HTsOhm8iNueq4TkiSyhFVWZE8Xlm1pJVBpko_MJyqYnClOsXIsRdVNmqXEdsUgnudnCNUOBFR3xvPsQYT8E/s1600/contract.gif" /></a></div><strong><em>“Heathrow Airport Limited (HAL) and Heathrow Airport Licensed Taxis Society (“HALTS”) entered into a new agreement for the provision of Taxi Support Services. The previous agreement with Heathrow Airport Licensed Taxis Limited (“HALT”) had expired in July 2008. The new agreement was executed on 1 December 2009 to run for a five year period.</em></strong><br />
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<strong><em>The terms of the agreement prohibit HALTS from publicising or advertising the terms of the agreement. Providing a copy to third parties could render that term ineffective if the agreement itself were then distributed to persons not bound by that restriction.”</em></strong><br />
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The RMT London Taxi Branch (Heathrow) will advise its membership to continue paying the TFP entry fee with the understanding that it has neither been consulted nor invited to participate in any discussions regarding any increase in the TFP entry fee. Further, that both RMT and HALT members do not recognise the legitimacy of any part of the TFP fee being paid over to HALTS.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>RMT London Taxi Branch view on TFP Entry Fee Consultation Process.</strong></span><br />
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The RMT London Taxi Branch considers the TFP consultation process to be flawed and lacking in information provided by BAA to the Heathrow taxi trade community.<br />
<br />
The RMT recommends the following for the future:<br />
<br />
• All established trade representative organisations to be included in negotiations with BAA.<br />
<br />
<em>N.B. Heathrow Airport Licensed Taxis Society is not recognised as a representative trade organisation, but rather a third party contractor. Both the RMT and HALT members strongly object to any payment made to this company through the TFP entry fee.</em><br />
<br />
• A BAA accountant to be available on at least one scheduled meeting with a detailed break-down of the TFP costing. This information must be available to the trade for its own accountants to scrutinise.<br />
<br />
• A chairperson to be present at all such meetings.<br />
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• Minutes of all taxi trade/BAA meetings to be taken and made available for all taxi trade reps in order to consult their own membership within 7 days of each meeting. Without this there can never be universal agreement on any issue.<br />
<br />
• Details of the costs of any third party contractor in the running of the TFP.<br />
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• The taxi trade must have more say over the conduct and training of any third party company charged with running the TFP system. At the moment NSL staff is constantly at logger heads with the trade because of a lack of proper training, and the RMT considers that this company does not offer value for money because of inefficient working practices.<br />
<br />
The proposal for an extra 5p to be paid over to HALTS has received universal condemnation within the Heathrow taxi trade community, and the RMT recommends that this company does not receive any increase in the monies it already benefits from. It is the opinion of the RMT that to do otherwise would inflame an already controversial issue.<br />
<br />
However, the RMT London Taxi Branch is willing to concede to an increase in the component within the TFP entry fee that BAA has asked for. This is in recognition of the fact that the Heathrow taxi trade community has not been able to thoroughly scrutinise the costing of running the TFP on this occasion, and the time now required to so would bring the trade too close to the next TFP consultation period. Therefore, the taxi trade does not expect to pay the extra 5p that HALTS has asked for, but rather is prepared to pay 29p to BAA only, taking the TFP entry fee up to £6.59 from 1st August 2011.<br />
<br />
The taxi trade hopes to see this reflected in the BAA TFP entry fee announcement on 11th July 2011.<br />
<br />
Michael Moran<br />
RMT Taxi Trade Rep, Heathrow.London Taxi Branch RMThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07127397443264820753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7174500729727750448.post-59783006006427011802011-03-20T10:00:00.010+00:002011-09-25T15:14:35.789+01:00You Can't Do It On Your Own<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPLEpGi8zO3b4eSE8_M-_60KhbQebYKLLirNPau-CTukj0bgm9kxCZddGI51RnOK1hs6HAUaPTadSqTVAI1oQQBB3KMWz4plysDigfQRrsKVSTJziXWa1pL28vKCSsH1xX_A_RZtrSY7Y/s1600/th_TheHighCourt+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjedKsaLJVN8kpjjl4eb1krGb4us0fKbbT3_3ErEPq9V2Xx_S36o3Wr5Tet8tDEpo9CT00u5GGn2W74W-5JzptK8ShVTS74iUDjWahzdaNbLLFYkYIA7CRNaKDRbA0XmNCsiiLFW5KxChI/s1600/Bob+Crow.jpg" /></span><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 120%;"></span></b><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 120%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">On March 4 2011 the RMT won a Court of Appeal victory which has effectively stopped employers from taking away the right of workers to take industrial action.</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><strong>This has been a victory for millions of union workers, and it has also highlighted some of the “bullying” tactics that many employers use to keep their employees in line. The case was RMT v Serco. </strong></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_4Qz6K0dSpI5kd8Mi8gvUs5w5NksyibefLoGzLjrWvZz78LeCbFsBJDSjq0DNh0oKkk71kjtF_BNb11Ih_Jl3Y3UlQMhdhKWTLFOFVU0jS4l3BilhmZcWJV6cvnGclCIUAaYO-E9bimY/s1600/th_TheHighCourt+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_4Qz6K0dSpI5kd8Mi8gvUs5w5NksyibefLoGzLjrWvZz78LeCbFsBJDSjq0DNh0oKkk71kjtF_BNb11Ih_Jl3Y3UlQMhdhKWTLFOFVU0jS4l3BilhmZcWJV6cvnGclCIUAaYO-E9bimY/s1600/th_TheHighCourt+2.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjedKsaLJVN8kpjjl4eb1krGb4us0fKbbT3_3ErEPq9V2Xx_S36o3Wr5Tet8tDEpo9CT00u5GGn2W74W-5JzptK8ShVTS74iUDjWahzdaNbLLFYkYIA7CRNaKDRbA0XmNCsiiLFW5KxChI/s1600/Bob+Crow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><strong>Employers within the construction industry have for years been using blacklists for denying employment to workers who belong to certain unions; members belonging to the RMT and Unite amongst others have appeared on these lists. A company called The Consulting Company (TCA) has been selling these lists to construction companies for many thousands of pounds, and workers who appear on them are effectively </strong></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><strong>barred from finding a job within the industry. This blacklist was discovered when the offices of TCA were raided in 2009. It is now illegal to keep, disseminate or share blacklists.</strong></span></div><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">So what has this got to do with self employed taxi drivers at Heathrow? The fact that we are self employed does not mean that we cannot benefit from union membership; in fact it is essential that self employed people have proper union representation as they have far fewer rights in law than employed workers. The attitude amongst most drivers is that they don’t need any representation at all, and those that do often decide to join one of the trade’s own mutual societies. All of these mutuals have been set up by taxi drivers who have very little industrial relations experience and seem to think that knowledge of the taxi trade is enough to see </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 18px;">them through the myriad of problems that can befall not only the individual, but also the taxi trade itself.</span></strong></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong></strong></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><strong>I cannot stress the importance of belonging to a proper union strongly enough. Yes, the executive committee may not have a sound understanding of how the <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">London</place></city> taxi trade works, but that in itself is not important. The important thing is that any taxi branch of a major union is made up of taxi drivers who do know the issues of their trade, and they can draw on the wealth of experience that the executive committee has in dealing with industrial issues, no matter what trade their members belong to.</strong></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong></strong></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><strong>Bob Crow is not a builder, but I bet there are many thousands in the building industry who now feel that without the power of the RMT they would truly be dumped on the scrap-heap created by blacklisting.</strong></span></div></div><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><strong>Join the RMT to effectively fight for your trade.</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Plan for “meet and greet” agents</strong></span><br />
<strong></strong><br />
<strong>Heathrow Taxis (HALTS) and Heathrow Airport Limited (HAL) recently posted a notice in the airport canteen lobby and Cab In seeking drivers who would be willing to volunteer to act as meet and greet agents for the taxi desks.</strong><br />
<strong>This has caused uproar as these drivers would be expected to work a “shift” as unpaid staff for Heathrow Taxis, and then be allowed to by-pass the Taxi Feeder Park in lieu of payment.</strong><br />
<br />
<strong>Emergency meetings have been held with various trade orgs which included Unite, LTDA, LCDC and HATDU. It appears that they will not stand for this, and neither should they. I have been approached by one of the leaders of one of these trade orgs for support in the event that there is a Feeder Park stoppage. </strong><br />
<strong>I have stated that the RMT would be willing to take part if certain conditions are met. This would include a commitment from all trade orgs that they are united in a call for a stoppage, and that the RMT is recognised as an equal participant in any stoppage. </strong><br />
<strong>The London Taxi Branch has agreed to any action that may take place so long as all other conditions are agreed to. </strong><br />
<strong><br />
</strong><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><strong>Chief Superintendent Bert Moore</strong></span></span><br />
<strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></strong> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="display: inline !important; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 115%;"><strong>I would like to welcome Chief Superintendent Bert Moore in his new post as head of SO18, airport security at Heathrow Airport, and I hope that the taxi trade can have a good working relationship with Heathrow Police on any issues that may affect all of us.</strong></span> </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
<strong></strong></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-weight: normal;"></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 115%;"><strong>In last month’s RMT Newsletter I featured the issue of airport security and the waste of both police and taxi drivers' time when drivers were pulled over for having their For Hire lights on.</strong></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 115%;">I have been in contact with Jenny Croft of NSL and Chief Superintendent Bert Moore of Heathrow police, and it appears that there is no record of any such events taking place, or who authorised the digital display message that advised drivers to turn their For Hire signs off when making their way to the terminals.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Of course, we all saw the message on the digital display board in the canteen, and in the <placename w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Feeder</place> <placetype w:st="on">Park</placetype></placename>. We also know that there were a number of drivers who were pulled over by police. So I think it is fair to say that something needs to be done about this. I have been offered a meeting with the man in charge of traffic at Heathrow by Chief Superintendent Moore, and I have also advised Jenny Croft that any messages that are posted on the display boards must be approved by the trade if they concern either Hackney Carriage or Heathrow byelaws.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="display: inline !important; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"></span></span></span></div></div><br />
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</div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong></strong></span>London Taxi Branch RMThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07127397443264820753noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7174500729727750448.post-70097623099836929212011-01-31T00:02:00.002+00:002011-11-20T20:08:34.717+00:00Airport Bombing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUejdpelV_QBQcF8YiIQCs6FWV1S7FgJRIFQL6Fq6qAEMIDk5mNMaE-ykcN6uho7PCjRsAzUuA2x8Um5NvtdR8CPNGdujUCEBhSHeeJl62rpWzBu5cn4pwA3VEjlayviKajWl8_Toyhsk/s1600/Domodedovo+bomb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUejdpelV_QBQcF8YiIQCs6FWV1S7FgJRIFQL6Fq6qAEMIDk5mNMaE-ykcN6uho7PCjRsAzUuA2x8Um5NvtdR8CPNGdujUCEBhSHeeJl62rpWzBu5cn4pwA3VEjlayviKajWl8_Toyhsk/s320/Domodedovo+bomb.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Three Britons were amongst the 35 killed at Moscow’s Domodedovo airport a couple of weeks ago, and another 110 were injured following the suicide bombing that left so much human suffering in its wake.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">In a week when <st1:country-region w:st="on">Britain</st1:country-region> was conducting its own inquiry into the <st1:city w:st="on">London</st1:city> tube and bus bombings that killed a similar number, the <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Moscow</st1:place></st1:city> bombing acts as a stark reminder of the dangers that we all face. We are constantly being told to be vigilant, to report anything suspicious. There is even a dedicated “Terrorist” hotline that is manned 24 hours a day; I have had occasion to call this number myself to report a suspicious situation, and the phone didn’t even rang twice before it was picked up. A week after I had made that phone call and had given my statement, I received a follow up call from a police officer from Kings Cross to let me know that what I had reported was also reported by at least 3 other people. Thankfully our suspicions were not terror related, but they could have been, and the fact that a central phone number exists for anyone to call is reassuring.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><b>The problem, however, is that there are now so many holes in the security measures that are supposed to protect us, that it may only be a matter of time before a similar thing happens again somewhere in the U.K. Anyone that takes the time to look around any public place where large numbers of people gather will notice that there are numerous opportunities for terrorists to create carnage. We all know that a determined terrorist will succeed if they are not challenged early enough, or if they manage to go undetected by the intelligence services. So why hand it to them on a plate?<o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><b>Last week a number of taxi drivers were pulled over by police at Heathrow on the airport perimeter road. Their “crime” was having their For Hire signs illuminated whilst making their way to the taxi rank! Each of these drivers were told to switch the For Hire sign off, as plying for hire within half a mile of any taxi rank at Heathrow is illegal. What the police at Heathrow don’t seem to understand is that the For Hire sign is only a visual aid, and does not constitute “plying for hire”. So what a waste of police time and resources this turned out to be. Could the police have been better deployed at one of the largest airports in the World?<o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><b>Heathrow airport has been the target of terrorist attacks in the past, and the current climate of terrorist threats makes it a very sensitive and potentially dangerous place for the public. Rather than pulling taxi drivers over on the perimeter road, the police should be making sure that the areas where the public do congregate are looked after. After all, if a bomb were to go off on the perimeter road it is unlikely that many people would be killed or injured, but if this was to happen in one of the terminals the consequences would be horrendous.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><b>The main focus of police activity should be in the terminal buildings themselves, not the perimeter road. And the freedom of people to wander into the terminal buildings when they have no business there should be of far greater concern to them than taxi drivers who have their For Hire signs on when legitimately making their way to the taxi rank. The illegal taxi touting that is carried out by both licensed and unlicensed minicab drivers is now at epidemic proportions in some of the terminals at Heathrow, and this in itself is a major security issue. It’s not the touting that should concern the police so much, as the potential for a suicide bomber to be ignored under the pretence that it is just another tout.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><b>Wasn’t it illegally parked “minicabs” that were packed with explosives in Haymarket, before suspicions were raised, after it became apparent that they had been abandoned?<o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><b>If these two car-bombs had not failed to detonate, there would have been a terrible loss of life as a consequence. <o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><b>Domodedovo airport has been accused of lax security, and President Medvedev has called for the sacking of senior security staff at the airport. Could a similar thing happen at Heathrow? Let’s hope that David Cameron doesn’t have to call for the sacking of those responsible for security at Heathrow in a similar fashion.</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">If the police at Heathrow want to really do something worthwhile, they should forget about taxi drivers legitimately displaying their For Hire signs, and concentrate on the illegal activities of taxi-touts in the terminal buildings instead.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>London Taxi Branch RMThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07127397443264820753noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7174500729727750448.post-57294753804803977392010-12-25T06:25:00.000+00:002010-12-25T06:25:29.636+00:00<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">All HALT members should be aware that Colin Evans is trying to have HALT "struck off" by the FSA so that HALTS can go unchallenged with its plans to take the business away from its legitimate owners, i.e. Heathrow drivers.</span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">If you are a HALT member, please show your disapproval of this move by emailing me at Roman@rmt.org.uk </span><br />
<br />
I will be happy to register your disapproval with the FSA on behalf of <u>ALL</u> HALT members.<br />
<br />
I have been warning drivers of the dangers that we all face at Heathrow with HALTS' plans for some time now. It is now crucial that drivers realise where this is leading before it is too late. Act now, or repent later.<br />
<br />
Once HALT is gone, say "goodbye" to Heathrow, because it will be at the mercy of "free enterprise".<br />
<br />
You have been warned.London Taxi Branch RMThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07127397443264820753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7174500729727750448.post-64734176093285240272010-12-08T08:00:00.001+00:002010-12-09T05:58:45.841+00:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioIdhVq18C8Ol-ka3KZo8idGZiNmt68ycNK3VKTeMRA5EnpiB9rb5DqDKISTgA88N4xmxa43B8eKfJStNeqk6pvrtpcEs9wzIc_IVJiDqbF0RF_wVDTq6EeHDPAdjEbl-Qj0sL9TgJFeM/s1600/Cash+only%2521.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioIdhVq18C8Ol-ka3KZo8idGZiNmt68ycNK3VKTeMRA5EnpiB9rb5DqDKISTgA88N4xmxa43B8eKfJStNeqk6pvrtpcEs9wzIc_IVJiDqbF0RF_wVDTq6EeHDPAdjEbl-Qj0sL9TgJFeM/s320/Cash+only%2521.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Colin Evans appears to be changing the rules for the new Blue Voucher system on a daily basis.</span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">First we had the announcement that there would be no further cash payments once the Blue Voucher scheme was introduced on November 5th, 2010, and then there <u>WOULD</u> be cash payments after HALTS (Heathrow Taxis) was put under pressure the weekend before the launch. This was followed by yet another announcement that the cash payments would only be a temporary measure until they could cut a deal to have a credit card style system set up for drivers with no bank account.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The latest development in this sorry fiasco is the CASH ONLY payment method, wait for it......because of the SNOW!!!</span><br />
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</span><br />
The picture above was taken from the HALT notice board, and as I've said in the past, HALTS have no right to put any of their literature in the HALT notice board; it belongs to HALT members, not Colin Evans or anyone else. This picture may not be readable because of its size, so I have reproduced the text below, it states;<br />
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<b><i>"Heathrow Taxis Blue Voucher Scheme</i></b><br />
<b><i><br />
</i></b><br />
<b><i>To all Heathrow drivers</i></b><br />
<b><i><br />
</i></b><br />
<b><i>The current adverse weather conditions are obviously having a negative impact on journey times and fares which is reflecting badly on our service to passengers at Heathrow, therefore, to try to alleviate the situation we have decided to implement the following payment process for all Blue Vouchers:</i></b><br />
<b><i><br />
</i></b><br />
<b><i>Cash will be paid immediately on any voucher with a value under £100. Vouchers with a value over £100 will be paid five days from the date of the voucher.</i></b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b><i>This process will apply to all driver so no bank payments will be made during this time.</i></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b><i><br />
</i></b></span><br />
<b><i>This is a temporary measure until the snow and ice has cleared and we will notify you when payment for vouchers will return to normal.</i></b><br />
<b><i><br />
</i></b><br />
<b><i>We thank you in advance for your cooperation during this difficult time.</i></b><br />
<b><i><br />
</i></b><br />
<b><i>Heathrow Taxis"</i></b><br />
<b><i><br />
</i></b><br />
What is going on here? This process will apply to ALL drivers so no bank payments will be made during this time???<br />
<br />
Has Heathrow Taxis (HALTS) got a problem with its banking system? They claim to have signed up over 200 drivers, so why is the snow stopping payments into their accounts? I've heard some excuses in my time, but this one really does take the biscuit!!!<br />
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Any driver that takes a Blue Voucher may be taking the risk that they may never receive payment. I have previously stated that any work that comes out of the taxi desks is the property of the drivers on the rank, and I stand by that claim, but I have to say that I will personally have to think very hard whether I want to take the risk of accepting one of these vouchers when I consider the bad credit card history that certain members of the Heathrow Taxis committee have entered into. JourneyPay is just one example, and HALTPAY is another.<br />
<br />
I have documentation that clearly shows that these people are not capable of running a secure credit card operation. So, my advice to any driver presented with a Blue Voucher is, be very careful, take it at your own risk.<br />
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I look forward to the next change of goal posts with interest. Meanwhile, keep checking RMT notices in the canteen area for further developments.<br />
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Be very lucky,<br />
<br />
Mick Moran.<br />
<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span>London Taxi Branch RMThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07127397443264820753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7174500729727750448.post-22874275373453711842010-12-01T07:50:00.008+00:002010-12-09T06:04:34.599+00:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6YMzViPajO0uxsoImQVtYgxPz_-C8OdN9RNWmsPJBLQEN0BNSSeLb_B9id6pAeRmiPIkN4TgeM6_4AtegZWPu1pV4yCnd-QI3KAYEzjkRMGhpmY4bmJialbloCoZg_oh13TenVyyWxN8/s1600/contract.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6YMzViPajO0uxsoImQVtYgxPz_-C8OdN9RNWmsPJBLQEN0BNSSeLb_B9id6pAeRmiPIkN4TgeM6_4AtegZWPu1pV4yCnd-QI3KAYEzjkRMGhpmY4bmJialbloCoZg_oh13TenVyyWxN8/s1600/contract.gif" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-large;">After a Freedom of Information request to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), I can reveal the Heathrow Airport Licensed Taxis Society (HALTS) signed a contract with Heathrow Airport Limited (HAL) on 1<span class="Apple-style-span">st</span> of December, 2009.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">This is a commercial agreement that is to run for 5 years, and there is a non-disclosure clause written into the contract. This means that HALTS cannot reveal any information to those who sign up to Heathrow Taxis, even though they are supposed to be "members" of this private company.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">HALTS recently had its inaugural AGM where a committee was elected and it is interesting to take a look at the members of this newly formed committee.</span><br />
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HALTS has five directors, Colin Evans, Howard Kaye, Chris Harrison, Henry (Harry) O'Leary and Dave Eshun. Of these five directors three have been elected onto the committee; Colin Evans and Chris Harrison for three years and Dave Eshun for two years. The remaining four committee members are, Barry Pellor for two years, Kevin Nutley for one year, Waine Stapley for one year and John Styles for one year.<br />
<br />
At next year's AGM there will be another committee election, and neither Colin Evans, Chris Harrison, Dave Eshun nor Barry Pellor will have to stand for re-election, but Kevin Nutley, Waine Stapley and John Styles will. When these elections take place the remaining directors of HALTS will be able to stand, and it is more than likely that both Howard Kaye and Henry O'Leary will both be elected.<br />
<br />
This will mean that all five directors of HALTS will also be committee members! Barry Pellor has been very supportive of Howard Kaye for some time, so I don't think he is likely to offer any resistance to any decisions the director members of the committee make. So we will have a committee that will be able to discuss HALTS matters behind closed doors as directors and then be assured of a majority vote for any proposals they may put forward for deliberation as committee members. Democracy for the drivers? I think this is unlikely, to say the least, as the directors will always have a majority even if they have the maximum number of committee members allowed by the rules of the company, i.e. nine.<br />
<br />
Both Howard Kaye and Colin Evans are the sole directors of Heathrow Taxis Solutions, the company that they formed to handle all credit card bookings that are created through the taxi desks. This company is a properly incorporated private company limited by shares, and the one share issue is held by HALTS, but what if the directors of Heathrow Taxis Solutions and the weighted HALTS committee decide to transfer this share to another place, or split it into a number of parts and take the benefits of any profits made by the credit card operation elsewhere? There are far too many questions over the level of control or benefit that drivers at Heathrow can expect to see with this set up.<br />
<br />
As I've stated on many occassions, I am very concerned with the way this is going and I don't think our best interests are the true motivation behind the formation of either HALTS or Heathrow Taxis Solutions.<br />
<br />
Colin Evans, Howard Kaye, Chris Harrison, Dave Eshun and Henry O'Leary are all acting committee members of the drivers' mutual society HALT (Heathrow Airport Licenced Taxis) along with Alfred Winn, who is the only dissenting voice. HALT still exists, and its members are being hoodwinked into believing that HALT has been demutualised and is now HALTS. This is not the case, HALT still exists as the drivers' own mutual society and has been all but abandoned by its own executive committee to serve their own purposes.<br />
<br />
What I would like to ask the HALT acting committee members is this, why didn't they take up the offer of fixing the problems that HALT has had from day one regarding the 50% quorum level when a workable solution to the problem was put forward? A cynical person might conclude that they never really wanted the democracy for drivers that they always claimed they did want.<br />
<br />
If the HALT unreachable quorum question had been addressed and an elected committee had been formed, it might have been possible to vote in favour of demutualisation instead of the fake change that has taken place. Any committee member that claims that the way this has been handled is either moral or legal does not deserve to hold that office and should admit that what they have done is an injustice to the drivers and the whole idea of a mutual society.<br />
<br />
The RMT London Taxi Branch is fully committed to ridding Heathrow Airport of this injustice and will never accept the primacy that HALTS has gained with the conivance of BAA.London Taxi Branch RMThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07127397443264820753noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7174500729727750448.post-82864527013877211242010-11-25T14:10:00.001+00:002010-11-26T03:03:05.841+00:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHVJQAQlGcDCgb3a-yDFsgSsXNTFaeZ7165e3STMtQx-T9OqcqUPBxUtRuVspqHjLwdEhP1esLOdurQl3n90EMonO3ZZJusts4ij3axAfNesyvAQ_6KQdFFwmAfzN5Y2BiQwENZfsCmuo/s1600/Blue+Voucher+bank+account.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHVJQAQlGcDCgb3a-yDFsgSsXNTFaeZ7165e3STMtQx-T9OqcqUPBxUtRuVspqHjLwdEhP1esLOdurQl3n90EMonO3ZZJusts4ij3axAfNesyvAQ_6KQdFFwmAfzN5Y2BiQwENZfsCmuo/s320/Blue+Voucher+bank+account.jpg" width="254" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">The latest copy of Taxi Globe (issue 647, 24 November) carries a very worrying announcement issued by Heathrow Taxis (HALTS) on page 4.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">What troubles me, is that after making it clear that there will be no more cash payments for voucher jobs, and then retracting that condition after huge pressure from the trade, this contradictory piece of information appears in one of the most respected journals in the taxi trade! </span><br />
<br />
As my previous post pointed out, the "no cash" option was abandoned because of the furore that it created. True to form, Heathrow Taxis then posted a leaflet in the HALT notice board stating that cash payments would only last until they had sorted out a credit card style option. How can you trust people who go back on their word as soon as they make a commitment? By the way, the directors of HALTS have no right to use the "HALT" notice board, this belongs to HALT members, not the directors of HALTS to promote their own company.<br />
<br />
Now it appears from this piece in Taxi Globe that there never was an agreement to pay cash to drivers after the 8th November, despite the fact that they are doing so as I write. But this is not the most worrying part; they are now encouraging drivers who don't have access to their own bank account to use someone else's!!! Why not have it paid into your kid's piggy bank, or even better get paid in M&S vouchers. Do they not realise how irresponsible their suggestion to use someone else's bank account is?<br />
<br />
Drivers who may be struggling to get their finances on track are told to use someone else's bank account!!! How low are HALTS prepared to go to force EVERY driver at Heathrow to sign up to their questionable scheme?London Taxi Branch RMThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07127397443264820753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7174500729727750448.post-70907793712039900192010-11-20T09:52:00.002+00:002010-11-20T09:57:01.958+00:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_cEVKLmhusD_GrXk1070DeP8nA2jBTNyQ7Xz4lfV-4UIxhsofimTaPSd-5iyEtAFo51meLWgMbFjjPziGlnwNe3xuHflJuy20TUpJeZZ8FxDkZBeEGuPKUrF0bxEwN1ziplA8C4BLqZo/s1600/heathrow+taxis+2+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_cEVKLmhusD_GrXk1070DeP8nA2jBTNyQ7Xz4lfV-4UIxhsofimTaPSd-5iyEtAFo51meLWgMbFjjPziGlnwNe3xuHflJuy20TUpJeZZ8FxDkZBeEGuPKUrF0bxEwN1ziplA8C4BLqZo/s320/heathrow+taxis+2+%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;">I have been posting an "Urgent Notice" on the entrance door of the canteen at Heathrow taxi feeder park for the last week or so, and every day it is torn down by someone who obviously takes exception to the information </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;">contained within it.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;">Undeterred, I keep obliging by putting up a new one.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;">But what is in this notice that provokes such dedicated attention? I can only assume that someone finds the contents objectionable!</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;">Everything in it has been taken from HALTS (Heathrow Taxis) own literature.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;">You can see the contents of the notice below.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;">(Double left click on the image to enlarge, and press the "back button" to return to this page.)</span><br />
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</span><br />
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</span>London Taxi Branch RMThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07127397443264820753noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7174500729727750448.post-36248660025127998492010-11-09T08:31:00.002+00:002010-11-12T07:28:13.482+00:00Blue Vouchers at Heathrow<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhhiAAiO2YsZCKQvRY1NYm4Wmv7qb6ygYO85X3TIKOAd4PRwso8LsTwhufZNYep5wH7UKX9u3-orEpuqaUf8wtPe4LAT9GZBdyZOxLk9vEW8aNEgsnr2AYCyQ5yI5xe8qz2ggz00Oa4TU/s1600/New+Blue+Voucher3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhhiAAiO2YsZCKQvRY1NYm4Wmv7qb6ygYO85X3TIKOAd4PRwso8LsTwhufZNYep5wH7UKX9u3-orEpuqaUf8wtPe4LAT9GZBdyZOxLk9vEW8aNEgsnr2AYCyQ5yI5xe8qz2ggz00Oa4TU/s320/New+Blue+Voucher3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">This is what the new Blue vouchers look like.</span><br />
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<b>I have erased the drivers badge number for obvious reasons as he was kind enough to allow me to take a snap of the voucher.</b><br />
This particular driver was somewhat put out by the fact that he couldn't cash the voucher in the canteen as before, and was further dismayed to learn that he couldn't redeem it until 7 days later. He was due to go on holiday in two days time, and needed the money before he goes.<br />
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Over the last weekend the directors of HALTS (Heathrow Taxis) assured the trade that cash payments would be possible after much pressure from drivers and BAA, but a leaflet from HALTS has now appeared in the canteen at Heathrow stating that this is for a limited time only!!!<br />
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It appears that they are planning on issuing a credit card style card that will be issued to drivers who do not have bank accounts, --and there are some-- and they say that there will be no more cash payments once this new "facility" is up and running. If their website is anything to go by, it could be a very long wait. The website was launched in March 2010 and it is still assuring visitors that the credit card booking facility will be up and running soon.....eight months later.<br />
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Click on the following link into your browser and you will see what I mean.... <a href="http://www.heathrowtaxis.org/booking.html">http://www.heathrowtaxis.org/booking.html</a><br />
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Colin Evans and Howard Kaye of Heathrow Taxis do not seem to be aware of the level of growing discontent within the taxi feeder park. The drivers who have signed up so far are but a tiny proportion of the number who use the airport on a regular basis. This discontent is growing, and it is only a matter of time before militant action is taken to demand an end to this outrageous situation. I only hope that BAA come to their senses and stop passing on a proportion of the feeder park entry fee to the directors of Heathrow Taxis. This money is the property of HALT members, and nobody else.London Taxi Branch RMThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07127397443264820753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7174500729727750448.post-30761664948136364822010-11-06T09:42:00.002+00:002010-11-06T09:42:52.504+00:00***STOP PRESS***<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy3Z74tNrUL-yP1Zc5WpfPJMAgsQeONj6__Sujuk11BsVUoEywh0L8BEommfSAJeU3P15E9KXpe7-cVWmsOHHxqADOhPRGNHHft9GyI28U2PC1UiZiDnCEm8H97-qz2Lcx1RRMcPrSx0k/s1600/th_london-gatwick-taxi-service.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy3Z74tNrUL-yP1Zc5WpfPJMAgsQeONj6__Sujuk11BsVUoEywh0L8BEommfSAJeU3P15E9KXpe7-cVWmsOHHxqADOhPRGNHHft9GyI28U2PC1UiZiDnCEm8H97-qz2Lcx1RRMcPrSx0k/s1600/th_london-gatwick-taxi-service.gif" style="cursor: move;" /></a><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">***Stop Press***</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Colin Evans of Heathrow Taxis (HALTS) has bowed to pressure from various sources, and has now conceded that drivers cannot be forced to sign up to his hugely unpopular scheme.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">From Monday 8 November, 2010. all drivers will be able to accept the controversial "Blue Vouchers" and have them cashed five days later.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Finally, BAA seem to have woken up to the discontent that Heathrow Taxis (HALTS) has created in the Taxi Feeder Park. Any new system will only work with the consent of the majority of drivers at Heathrow; there can be no exclusion, as the RMT has been saying all along.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">The RMT will not rest until control of the taxi system at Heathrow is conducted with the consent of the majority of drivers who use the facilities that they pay for. <b>No interlopers will be tolerated.</b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Stop Press added, 6 November 2010.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">--------------------------------------------------------</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div>London Taxi Branch RMThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07127397443264820753noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7174500729727750448.post-23625109773370324572010-11-03T09:01:00.020+00:002010-11-12T13:10:31.117+00:00What's New In The Feeder Park?<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">I have a well respected insider who has given me information that raises concerns over the integrity of Heathrow Airport Licensed Taxis Society (HALTS), otherwise known as Heathrow Taxis.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I have been banging on about the farcical situation with the Heathrow Taxis website for some months now, and it would appear that my concerns are more than justified. A member of Heathrow Taxis has passed on an email that he has received from the offices of Colin Evans and Howard Kaye, the directors of Heathrow Taxis, and it seems as though they are really struggling with the problem of offering a booking facility on their website!!!</span><br />
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It has now become apparent that the online booking system is to be put out to tender!!! This means that any driver that becomes a member of this company will be agreeing to have all their personal details passed onto a third party company. Will the directors of Heathrow Airport Licensed Taxis Society (HALTS) reveal the details of this new "partnership" to those who bother to attend the inaugural AGM planned for later this month? I doubt it very much! But drivers that do attend this AGM must demand to know what is happening after all the reassurances that their best interests are at the heart of Heathrow Taxis.<br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Blue Voucher Scheme</span><br />
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The Blue Voucher scheme is due to be rolled out from Monday 8 November 2010, according to Howard Kaye, but I can only see problems occurring when drivers who accept these vouchers realise that they won't be able to cash them in the feeder park canteen anymore. Instead, they will be required to enter their banking and personal details onto the back of the voucher. Only then will they receive payment.....7 days later.<br />
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Watch this space for further developements in this sorry saga.<br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">HALT Accounts.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black;">HALT or HALTS? There is a difference, even though the directors of Heathrow Airport Licensed Taxis Society (HALTS) would prefer it if there wasn't.</span><br />
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HALT is a mutual society that is supposed to operate for the benefit of taxi drivers at Heathrow. Whereas, HALTS is a private company, limited by guarantee, that works for the benefit of its directors.<br />
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Colin Evans and Howard Kaye are both acting executive committee (AEC) members of HALT. They are also company directors of HALTS. Could there be a conflict of interest here, perhaps?<br />
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Any member of HALT, or any person that has an interest in the funds of HALT, is entitled to a copy of the annual accounts 7 months after the end of the mutual society's financial year. In the case of HALT this is on the last day of August each year. This is not just part of the rules of the society, it is also the Law of the Land and any reluctance on the part of the AEC to supply them is a criminal offence under the Industrial and Provident Societies Act. I sent a request to the registered office of HALT a couple of weeks ago by special delivery, but so far I haven't received a reply.<br />
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This is an ongoing problem with the HALT acting executive committee that is performed every year until they finally give way to the real threat of legal action. This year the accounts could prove to be very tricky for them; how can they justify running a private company with the money raised from the Feeder Park entry fee? They just don't want members snooping around and asking questions. I wonder why?London Taxi Branch RMThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07127397443264820753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7174500729727750448.post-10685787138480755742010-10-11T12:56:00.002+01:002010-10-11T13:00:48.626+01:00<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>John Mason to visit Feeder Park</strong></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilTMpdter4c1QNMC1JWdrF2TAq9djJIvB4ddLkXhCV1E9iWLkRBTfkseG38VObY0n-82ZZVEaqpS3Nzb6NuN8eVOMxdtp4Bc7MExUfmL5DKD4VpAzT-XjBreWl5WiP3O-cs_LVy4rSEto/s1600/John+Mason.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilTMpdter4c1QNMC1JWdrF2TAq9djJIvB4ddLkXhCV1E9iWLkRBTfkseG38VObY0n-82ZZVEaqpS3Nzb6NuN8eVOMxdtp4Bc7MExUfmL5DKD4VpAzT-XjBreWl5WiP3O-cs_LVy4rSEto/s320/John+Mason.bmp" width="320" /></a></div><strong>John Mason, Director of Taxis and Private Hire (T&PH), has agreed to a question and answer session in the Feeder Park canteen on Friday 15 October, 2010, between 10am and 12:30pm This is a chance for ALL drivers to ask questions, and an opportunity for us to find out, first hand, what the Director of Taxis views are regarding some of the more pressing issues at Heathrow.</strong><br />
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<strong>No doubt, the M4 bus lane will be a topic that many will want answers to, but Mr. Mason may not be able to give us any reassurance as this is a subject that is beyond his control. The decision to scrap the bus lane is one that was made at Cabinet level, and so we will have to be satisfied with more relevant subjects such as fixed prices, emissions policy, age limits on taxis, etc.</strong><br />
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<strong>The RMT thanks Mr. Mason for accepting the invitation by Eddie Symes of HATDU to speak with us at Heathrow. This will be the first time the head of the carriage office (T&PH) has done this. Mr. Mason will face tough questions from drivers, but I hope we can offer him a courteous welcome.</strong>London Taxi Branch RMThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07127397443264820753noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7174500729727750448.post-38836171607789292352010-09-19T05:39:00.028+01:002010-11-05T04:17:02.476+00:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTvqLiEdOiq6S8BKqdKKMVRVZ0XyLyhmZITg-Kpr8ONyr5vO91Dxeda255XVhvnF3tUbXlZvbg4Q2xJ91Cb0jU8XE86S-pomjWlkpBk0yxdcdGB6y8LxbbiKmMBP6RrKI4XdA1MZQiw3A/s1600/RMT_green_(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="106" qx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTvqLiEdOiq6S8BKqdKKMVRVZ0XyLyhmZITg-Kpr8ONyr5vO91Dxeda255XVhvnF3tUbXlZvbg4Q2xJ91Cb0jU8XE86S-pomjWlkpBk0yxdcdGB6y8LxbbiKmMBP6RrKI4XdA1MZQiw3A/s200/RMT_green_(2).jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Some helpful soul contacted Taxicab News and had the RMT advice not to join the Heathrow Taxis (HALTS) credit card scheme printed in issue 144.</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"> The advice, which was originally posted on this blog-site 12 July 2010, was a follows, </span><br />
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<strong><em>The RMT London Taxi Branch (Heathrow) advises all taxi drivers who are registered with Taxi Expert, the tagging system for entering the Feeder Park, not to sign up with Heathrow Airport Licensed Taxis Society (HALTS).</em></strong><br />
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<em><strong>We have grave concerns regarding the integrity of HALTS, and will not sanction its validity by signing up to, what we believe is, a flawed system.</strong></em><br />
<em><strong>The RMT cannot subscribe to a scheme that excludes non HALTS drivers from obtaining work from the Terminal Taxi Desks. All drivers contribute to the costs of these desks through the Feeder Park entry fee, and are therefore entitled to whatever jobs are brought out to the rank from inside the terminal building by taxi desk staff. </strong></em><br />
<em><strong>There can be no exclusion.</strong></em><br />
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<em><strong>Michael Moran, RMT Heathrow rep. London Taxi Branch.</strong></em><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Now, I don't know who had this advice printed in Taxicab News, but I would like to thank whoever it was for doing so. </strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I'm sure it reached a bigger audience as a result, but one person who definitely did see it was Mr. Howard Kaye, who happens to be one of the directors of Heathrow Airport Licensed Taxis Society (HALTS), what a mouthful, no wonder they use the trading name of Heathrow Taxis!!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Mr. Kaye took umbrage to this advice and felt compelled to respond by sending a letter to the editor of Taxicab News. This letter appeared in the September 6 2010 issue, number 145, and went as follows;</span><br />
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<em><strong>Dear Editor</strong></em><br />
<em><strong></strong></em><br />
<em><strong>With reference Mr Michael Moran’s advice (in issue 144of TaxiCb News) to Heathrow’s RMT members. May I begin by referring to his questionable statement about HALTS integrity.</strong></em><br />
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<em><strong>Indeed perhaps Mr Moran should look at his own integrity as he has made statements that are scurrilous and completely untrue. We at HALTS are pleased to state that any driver holding a Heathrow tag is welcome to use the facilities offered including the use of a credit card machine and the ability to accept any voucher work that will come to the point of the rank. We insist on the “first cab first job” principle. Indeed we have many RMT members that quite happily use our facilities and may I suggest that Mr Moran must firstly base his opinion on fact and not mistruths and secondly not to put into print as Heathrow Branch Rep an untrue article that could be deemed to be RMT opinion.</strong></em><br />
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<em><strong>On 26th and 27th July Heathrow Taxis had an open day some 150 yards from the taxi feeder park and Mr Moran would have been very welcome to gather the facts before writing his article. Unfortunately he chose not to attend. Doing ones homework first means better results later.</strong></em><br />
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<em><strong>Thanks for the right to reply. </strong></em><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Thanks, Howard, you've given me the opportunity to talk about the very company that we at the RMT have grave mis-givings about.</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I have contacted Taxicab News with my response to Howard's response to the advice.....well I hope you know what I mean! </span><span style="font-size: large;">It's a bit long winded, but it is worth the read.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Anyway, it's printed below:</span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">I don’t know who sent Taxicab News the RMT statement advising taxi drivers not to subscribe to the new private company which trades under the name of Heathrow Taxis, but Howard Kaye’s “reply” to it has given me the opportunity to explain why we gave the advice in the first place. I would also like to thank the person that got it published in Taxicab News.</span></strong><br />
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<strong>Firstly, I want to address one or two of the comments made by Howard Kaye. Howard has accused me of printing mistruths (lies) about the conditions relating to membership of Heathrow Taxis (HALTS). The RMT advice to its members was posted in the Heathrow canteen on 15 July 2010, almost 2 weeks before the so called Heathrow Taxis trade show held at Capital Place, Harlington and the facts, as stated were correct at the time. Changing your modus operandi and then accusing me of lying won’t wash with me, Mr. Kaye.</strong><br />
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<strong>This is relevant, because at that time we were being told that drivers who sign up to the Heathrow Taxis credit card business would be given a sticker with the letter “V” to put in the windscreen of their cabs so that they could be identified by taxi desk personnel when they brought a credit card job out to the rank. The information, at that time, was that only drivers who had signed up would be eligible to accept these jobs. This can be confirmed, and our advice had the full support of Eddie Symes, the chairman of Heathrow Airport Taxi Drivers United (HATDU). It is also interesting to note that the LTDA has distanced itself from officially supporting the scheme.</strong><br />
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<strong>Howard Kaye has been forced to back peddle on more than one occasion in the face of criticism from fellow drivers. A classic example goes back to the middle of 2009 when it emerged that the newly formed HALTS - or Heathrow Taxis, as they prefer to be known - had in its Memorandum and Articles of Association the following paragraph:</strong><br />
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<strong><em>“3. The objects for which the Company is established are:-</em></strong><br />
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<em><strong>(k) <span style="font-size: large;">To give or award pensions, annuities, gratuities, and superannuation or other allowances</span> </strong>or benefits or charitable aid and generally to provide advantages, facilities and services <span style="font-size: large;"><strong>for any persons who are or have been Directors of</strong><span style="font-size: small;">,</span> </span><span style="font-size: small;">or</span> who are to have been employed by, or who are serving or have served <strong><span style="font-size: large;">the Company,</span> <span style="font-size: large;">and to</span> <span style="font-size: large;">the wives, widows, children and other relatives and dependants of such persons;</span></strong> to make payments towards insurance; and to set up, establish, support and maintain superannuation and other funds or schemes (whether contributory or non-contributory) for the benefit of any such persons and of their wives, widows, children and other relatives and dependents.”</em><br />
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<strong>This revelation quite rightly caused uproar at Heathrow and led to Howard Kaye protesting to angry drivers that he had no idea that these provisions had been made, despite the fact that he is one of the directors of HALTS. Is it conceivable that the contents of a company’s Memorandum and Articles of Association are a mystery to its directors?</strong><br />
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<strong>In February 2010 the four directors and company secretary held a meeting at the Holiday Inn Ariel hotel, Bath Road, Harlington to amend the Memorandum and Articles of Association, thus removing the offending paragraph, but only after being forced to by the furor that it caused. Would it have been changed if it hadn't been spotted by a vigilant driver? </strong><br />
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<strong>Another area of concern relates to the Heathrow Taxis website, which went live sometime in the middle of March 2010. I have made numerous visits to this site via the BAA Heathrow website, and I have discovered a very worrying fault with it! Any potential passengers who want to book a taxi from this site are met with a message stating, </strong><br />
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<strong><em>“Please check back soon………….we will notify you when our booking facility is up and runni</em>ng.”</strong><br />
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<strong>So you can’t actually book a taxi on this site!!! But now we have another option, because on the same BAA web page Addison Lee DO take bookings and they are accessed by the same “taxi” link button that leads to the Heathrow Taxis website!!! Are the directors of HALTS, not aware that they are effectively putting taxi passengers in the back of private hire vehicles? </strong><br />
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<strong>I’ve looked into the background of the Heathrow Taxis website, and it transpires that the registrant of this site once worked for Radio Taxis as Head of Marketing!!!</strong><br />
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<strong>As I understand it, this same person is now working full time for Heathrow Taxis at their new offices in Capital Place, just across the road from the Feeder Park. Now it may not be a crime to move from one company to another within the same industry, but surely concerns must be raised after the attempt by Radio Taxis and Addison Lee to gain a foothold in terminals 3 and 5 in 2009. Has Radio Taxis found a way in through the back door, I wonder? Addison Lee are already BAA's preferred supplier of private hire vehicles at Heathrow.</strong><br />
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<strong>I could list a whole catalogue of concerns that I have about Heathrow Taxis, but I think the above is enough to justify the RMT advice to stay away. I would not raise these concerns if I didn’t have documented evidence to back it up, so Mr. Kaye, please be careful before you accuse me of lying in print.</strong><br />
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<strong>Michael Moran.</strong>London Taxi Branch RMThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07127397443264820753noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7174500729727750448.post-82957565986753740432010-08-13T06:14:00.001+01:002010-08-17T13:31:03.267+01:00Airport strike risk hits travellers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYM7oY9OGRPdLWkQlDhAIlsnvUmvwJLvK8JIaiGtLmT29aTRkGgFzMLRjtnoS8RomiRfhXdxBrQBI9KQnJzqvR-MZLu_fVxFFDf3Q7zAVSiAAkuW64Ubs4kbwfd_4PtAZyOU2acrQj9Po/s1600/BAA+strike.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYM7oY9OGRPdLWkQlDhAIlsnvUmvwJLvK8JIaiGtLmT29aTRkGgFzMLRjtnoS8RomiRfhXdxBrQBI9KQnJzqvR-MZLu_fVxFFDf3Q7zAVSiAAkuW64Ubs4kbwfd_4PtAZyOU2acrQj9Po/s320/BAA+strike.jpg" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><em>The travel plans of thousands of people are in jeopardy because of threatened strike action at some of Britain's biggest airports.</em></span><span style="font-size: large;"><em> </em></span><br />
<br />
<em>Those booked on flights in the next few weeks face uncertainty after staff at BAA's six airports, including Heathrow, voted to take industrial action in a row over pay. </em><br />
<em>But travellers were offered a glimmer of hope after conciliation service Acas said it was arranging a meeting between BAA and the workers' union Unite. </em><br />
<br />
<em>Unite said no decision over the form or date of any strike will be taken before Monday which would leave the weekend open for talks.</em><br />
<em>The earliest a strike could be called would be Monday August 23 - just ahead of the busy bank holiday weekend. </em><br />
<br />
<em>With the Unite members including firefighters and security staff, any walkout would have a devastating effect on UK air travel which was already hit by a separate dispute involving British Airways' cabin crew, also represented by Unite. </em><br />
<br />
<em>Despite only half of the 6,185 Unite staff voting in the ballot, its leadership said BAA faced "a total shutdown" of its six airports - Heathrow, Stansted, Southampton, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen. Of those who did vote, almost three quarters (74.1%) came out in favour of strike action. </em><br />
<em>BAA said it did not believe the result provided "a clear mandate for strike action". </em><br />
<br />
<em>Prime Minister David Cameron said a strike would "do nothing but harm" and would damage business, jobs and tourism. Transport Secretary Philip Hammond urged both sides to seek an "amicable solution". </em><br />
<br />
<em>Unite national officer Brendan Gold and the union's national officer for civil aviation, Brian Boyd said the union would meet its shop stewards on Monday to decide what form of industrial action members would take.</em><br />
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Editor's note;<br />
<br />
BAA need to start talking to the RMT, because even those they do "recognise" don't seem too impressed with the treatment their members suffer at the hands of BAA. <br />
<br />
If a picket line is created as part of this impending industrial action, will Unite taxi branch members be prepared to cross it?London Taxi Branch RMThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07127397443264820753noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7174500729727750448.post-46879652415804693042010-07-24T19:54:00.014+01:002010-11-07T16:17:41.578+00:00Heathrow Taxis, A New Beginning?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVulWJ8FbaJwtoQKl4IMJNFzG4ShS6gq8fwL0a46Jm2FExkK1GyGTYYabZWncH5v9tlmCSCSv33hFhaKhGeYlnHOnjuk0Y5XJO4DEH1yVP45nn6lpr62dVFV-ttgkK805zpQ9M3_ZkrSI/s1600/HALTS+promo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVulWJ8FbaJwtoQKl4IMJNFzG4ShS6gq8fwL0a46Jm2FExkK1GyGTYYabZWncH5v9tlmCSCSv33hFhaKhGeYlnHOnjuk0Y5XJO4DEH1yVP45nn6lpr62dVFV-ttgkK805zpQ9M3_ZkrSI/s320/HALTS+promo.jpg" width="222" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Heathrow Taxis is the trading name for Heathrow Airport Licensed Taxis Society (HALTS) and they are holding a "Trade Show" on Tuesday 27th and Wednesday 28th of July.</strong></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">As the poster shows, there will be a number of trade exhibitors at this event. But I wonder how many of these exhibitors are aware of the progeny of this company? It will be interesting to know their views once they are informed.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Heathrow Taxis, which is a private company limited by guarantee, is funded from the entry fee that all taxi drivers pay when they enter the Taxi Feeder Park at Heathrow airport. Traditionally, the fee (£6.30) charged to taxi drivers each time they enter the TFP was made up of two parts; the main part of the charge went to BAA to administer the running of the Feeder Park through their contractors, and the smaller part of the charge (76pence) went to the taxi drivers' mutual society Heathrow Airport Licensed Taxis (HALT). This was an arrangement that was recommended by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and the Competition Commission.</span><br />
<br />
Heathrow Airport Licensed Taxis Society (HALTS), now trading under the name of Heathrow Taxis, was incorporated with Companies House as a private company limited by guarantee in January 2009, and sometime between then and 1st June 2010, the smaller part of the entry fee has been passed onto Heathrow Taxis and not HALT. This new arrangement was because of the result of a so called survey that BAA conducted with the directors of Heathrow Taxis (HALTS) which claimed that there was overwhelming support from HALT members for such a change. What BAA and Heathrow Taxis (HALTS) failed to explain to drivers is that this "survey" has no legal standing whatsoever, and the transfer of funds from the drivers' mutual society, Heathrow Airport Licensed Taxis (HALT), to the private company Heathrow Taxis (HALTS) is questionable.<br />
<br />
It is my opinion that Heathrow Taxis is heading for some tricky times to come if there is a legal challenge to their claim that they have done this with full legal and democratic integrity. I shall be keeping an eye on any further developments when drivers begin to realise the full implications of the changes that have taken place in the Taxi Feeder Park.<br />
<br />
I note that no taxi trade organisations are mentioned in the list of exhibitors! There are three "recognised" trade organisations in the taxi trade, and there have been rumours that they are beginning to have reservations about Heathrow Taxis because of the above reasons. This is despite the fact that Unite the union (taxi branch) has had very strong links with some of the directors of Heathrow Taxis in the past.<br />
<br />
I will be happy to discuss any of the issues in this article with any other taxi trade representative, if they wish to do so.<br />
<br />
Michael Moran RMT Heathrow rep (London taxi branch).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Please email me at <a href="mailto:Roman@rmtmail.org.uk">Roman@rmtmail.org.uk</a>London Taxi Branch RMThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07127397443264820753noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7174500729727750448.post-31505224959098136982010-07-21T07:38:00.035+01:002010-07-24T05:53:51.877+01:00Heathrow Taxi Rank Agents<a href="http://www.blogger.com/"></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjePL-V44K8A17igEbuFVvOkGMeM31QOvDZQfR5Y7kdauGCC40pFSyXtkA-o59P4jYx8LluuzqPhweVu7Y1gy6SdmVBqRtrAAdDS8Uu_voYOzp3Ezgl1NVDaNQa7l8aof3ogORdk-W5cO0/s1600/TAXI.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: right; float: left; height: 153px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; width: 201px;"><img border="0" height="150" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjePL-V44K8A17igEbuFVvOkGMeM31QOvDZQfR5Y7kdauGCC40pFSyXtkA-o59P4jYx8LluuzqPhweVu7Y1gy6SdmVBqRtrAAdDS8Uu_voYOzp3Ezgl1NVDaNQa7l8aof3ogORdk-W5cO0/s200/TAXI.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: large;"><strong>The parking and enforcement giant, NSL, took over the running and administration of the taxi system at Heathrow Airport from Meteor Parking at the beginning of 2010.</strong></span></div><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: large;">There are a number of concerns that have emerged regarding the levels of professionalism shown by NSL staff since this company won this lucrative contract. One of these concerns has been highlighted below, and the RMT London Taxi Branch (Heathrow) is taking steps to ensure that this issue is resolved as a matter of urgency.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: large;"><strong>Taxi Rank Agents: The Limits of Their Responsibility.</strong></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: large;"><strong></strong></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: large;"><strong>Reference Jenny Croft, NSL.</strong></span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white;">There appears to be a trend emerging on the terminal taxi ranks where agents are overstepping their authority. There have been a number of instances where taxi rank agents have held back passengers who are either travelling in a group of 6, or are in a smaller group with a lot of luggage. Some agents have been telling passengers that they should wait for a Vito taxi, as these are able to accommodate their needs.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">Most passengers fully expect to have to use more than one taxi in these situations, but are under the impression that the rank agent has the authority to hold them back. There is evidence to suggest that some passengers have been held up for up to 30 minutes in this way.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white;">There are a number of issues here:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white;">Firstly, the taxi rank agents’ job is to ensure the smooth running of the ranks, to request the passengers’ destinations, to make sure that the first cab on the rank takes the first available job, if the driver is legally obliged to do so, and to feed drivers’ details into the local journey system if and when appropriate.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">Secondly, rank agents must not discuss prices, advise passengers on the suitability of taxi type, nor put themselves up as arbiters to decide how much luggage a taxi can carry, regardless of the number of passengers that might be travelling in a group. Taxi drivers have a duty of care towards their passengers, and as such, it is for the individual driver to decide what constitutes an unsafe load.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">Finally, some of the taxi rank agents appear to be either poorly trained, or seem to think that they have the authority to interpret the rules to suit themselves. This has caused consternation on a number of occasions, and has led to unnecessary arguments and complaints as a result.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">Whilst the taxi trade at Heathrow accepts the need to have a regulating presence on the ranks, it cannot accept any undermining of its duties or responsibilities, nor any misinterpretation of the law. No driver that has lawfully driven onto a rank can be forced to leave by any rank agent without a job if a taxi rank agent suspects there has been a contravention of either Hackney Carriage law, or any Heathrow byelaws: Neither primary legislation nor Heathrow byelaws make provision for this.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">If a driver has breached any relevant legislation there are established procedures in place to deal with them. It must be noted that when Metropolitan Police Traffic Wardens administered the ranks, there was far less strife and misunderstanding of the rules because of their superior level of training.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">We suggest that these issues form part of any training program that taxi rank agents attend before they are deemed qualified to regulate any taxi rank at Heathrow Airport.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: x-small;">Michael Moran, RMT Heathrow rep. London Taxi Branch.</span>London Taxi Branch RMThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07127397443264820753noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7174500729727750448.post-1763673210346814032010-07-12T07:11:00.002+01:002010-07-12T07:14:16.069+01:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF9vCy0r_dg_2b6x2CyewMpO7wm0SdjpyO4RGoVWS_kb3dY4vnm_U3wcU_YR0QEmCR9lWrXZQKoqewq2HGx-knTSaZJorg6LVQbmKQ-MavoEBGNQdtXn3-U0hZTpxyzJNRuhEM_eAtIe4/s1600/RMT+wallpaper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF9vCy0r_dg_2b6x2CyewMpO7wm0SdjpyO4RGoVWS_kb3dY4vnm_U3wcU_YR0QEmCR9lWrXZQKoqewq2HGx-knTSaZJorg6LVQbmKQ-MavoEBGNQdtXn3-U0hZTpxyzJNRuhEM_eAtIe4/s320/RMT+wallpaper.jpg" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>The RMT London Taxi Branch (Heathrow) advises all taxi drivers who are registered with Taxi Expert, the tagging system for entering the Feeder Park, not to sign up with Heathrow Airport Licensed Taxis Society (HALTS).</strong></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">We have grave concerns regarding the integrity of HALTS, and will not sanction its validity by signing up to, what we believe is, a flawed system.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span>The RMT cannot subscribe to a scheme that excludes non HALTS drivers from obtaining work from the Terminal Taxi Desks. All drivers contribute to the costs of these desks through the Feeder Park entry fee, and are therefore entitled to whatever jobs are brought out to the rank from inside the terminal building by taxi desk staff. <br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>There can be no exclusion.</strong></span><br />
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Michael Moran, RMT Heathrow rep. London Taxi Branch.London Taxi Branch RMThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07127397443264820753noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7174500729727750448.post-65611955594166119602010-06-11T03:14:00.022+01:002010-06-29T06:06:08.517+01:00England World Cup Dates.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyDt6QtcaegFF_s-TmklfXQxfhBliCL9U9ZnY1xV09p2I5pcBIM4S4LeibS4VzX1tX74B1ACqF0z4JuXzGzBGR-oAuc22iKOdXVR0P95RfFK9usWrZWkn4odEC1Dd9U9KfEPZY4dce5Gw/s1600/England+logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" qu="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyDt6QtcaegFF_s-TmklfXQxfhBliCL9U9ZnY1xV09p2I5pcBIM4S4LeibS4VzX1tX74B1ACqF0z4JuXzGzBGR-oAuc22iKOdXVR0P95RfFK9usWrZWkn4odEC1Dd9U9KfEPZY4dce5Gw/s320/England+logo.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">The World Cup is upon us!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">No doubt there will be times when taxis will be in short supply, especially when England is playing. Here are the dates when "Our Boys" will have all eyes glued to the box for the 1st round.</span><br />
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<b>Saturday 12 June England v USA, kick-off 19:30 Result..........<span style="font-size: large;">England 1 - USA 1</span></b><br />
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<b>Friday 18 June England v Algeria, kick-off 19:30 Result..........<span style="font-size: large;">England 0 - Algeria 0</span></b><br />
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<b>Wednesday 23 June England v Slovenia, kick-off 15:00............<span style="font-size: large;">England 1 - Slovenia 0</span></b><br />
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USA ended up first in the group stages with England second.....now the second round knock out stage begins.....<br />
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<b>Sunday 27 June England v Germany, kick-off 15:00.................<span style="font-size: large;">England 1 - Germany 4</span></b><br />
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I will post all other confirmed dates and times as they become known.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Come on England!!!!!!</span>London Taxi Branch RMThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07127397443264820753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7174500729727750448.post-77100775001499354922010-06-06T17:01:00.015+01:002010-06-07T12:01:35.455+01:00Showdown at the Feeder Park<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnFY_4uljEwo1789Rr9xXBsLQPnS-OiTMXYyvE9Y6U5rzIzLuWM5pIizJp_DRytjcJzmTMDMBIKuHOMkCEQH-qjnIQIGXYFIcoYrUoKmR9KmREEehWQm5Q5rrFTUAn6JoOw5wRiCJ0l84/s1600/compass+centre.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnFY_4uljEwo1789Rr9xXBsLQPnS-OiTMXYyvE9Y6U5rzIzLuWM5pIizJp_DRytjcJzmTMDMBIKuHOMkCEQH-qjnIQIGXYFIcoYrUoKmR9KmREEehWQm5Q5rrFTUAn6JoOw5wRiCJ0l84/s320/compass+centre.jpg" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-large;">BAA has consistently refused to acknowledge the growing number of taxi drivers at Heathrow who have decided to join the RMT.</span><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><br />
<br />
We now have a large number of RMT members who have let it be known that they want the Heathrow RMT Sub-Branch to represent their interests as Tag holders. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Until recently, BAA have only sat down with trade reps from Unite the union, Licensed Taxi Drivers Association (LTDA), London Cab Drivers Club (LCDC) and Heathrow Airport Taxi Drivers United (HATDU). But even this now seems to have changed since news of the last Feeder Park entry fee increase.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">It turns out that there were no discussions with any of the above before the recent rise in the entry fee, so it looks as though BAA doesn't want <strong>ANY</strong> taxi drivers' organisations to have a say at Heathrow. It seems as though BAA has finally thrown down the gauntlet, and is prepared to risk industrial action from the taxi trade. We will not accept this situation, and we are having discussions to seek a way forward to address this problem.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Please keep an eye on this site for updates on the situation.</span>London Taxi Branch RMThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07127397443264820753noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7174500729727750448.post-28508209943940552352010-06-05T07:14:00.006+01:002010-06-05T17:35:12.709+01:00Taxi Feeder Park Entrance Fee Increase<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9ILnlEcTTGaHIi-jQvydobr_yLhyphenhyphenGWgutgtcTlU5ITHiv_uVXWSQzaPhDnvameFqoGFIRZRnTk92-SCdrm43iTWdM7NnJN0WCxWW842Xba4A7PuO3-5JYuemLHqh5uiqX6QJlmdAWnLU/s1600/BATails.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9ILnlEcTTGaHIi-jQvydobr_yLhyphenhyphenGWgutgtcTlU5ITHiv_uVXWSQzaPhDnvameFqoGFIRZRnTk92-SCdrm43iTWdM7NnJN0WCxWW842Xba4A7PuO3-5JYuemLHqh5uiqX6QJlmdAWnLU/s200/BATails.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;">Many drivers at Heathrow feel bewildered by the recent "hike" in the entrance fee to the Taxi Feeder Park, and I'm not in the least bit surprised. After all, there seemed to be little or no consultation whatsoever with any of the trade reps! What happened?</span><br />
<br />
From June 1st 2010, the entry fee to the TFP was increased by a massive 80p, representing an increase of almost 15%, from £5.50 to £6.30. But who agreed to this? Well as far as I can see, almost no-one!<br />
<br />
It has emerged that no "official" trade organisation was consulted on the gate increase, except for the "acting chairman of HALT (Heathrow Airport Licensed Taxis), Mr. Colin Evans. <br />
HALT was set up in 1994 as a mutual society to represent the interests of regular drivers that work the airport. The unfortunate thing is, though, that HALT has never been able to conduct itself in a democratic fashion because of an unrealistically high quorum level. .<br />
<br />
The acting committee took it upon themselves to by-pass the normal formalities of converting from a mutual society to a private company by registering a new company with Companies House under the name of "Heathrow Airport Licensed Taxis Society" (HALTS)! The word "Society" would lead anyone to believe that HALTS is another mutual society, but it is in fact a private company limited by guarantee.<br />
<br />
There is a very strict procedure, under the Industrial and Provident Societies Act, to convert from a mutual society to a limited company. The "acting" committee informed members of HALT that it would give them more control of their interests at the airport if HALT was "converted". But there was no conversion!<br />
Mr. Evans simply registered a private company at Companies House under the name of Heathrow Airport Licensed Taxis Society (HALTS), and a survey was held at the Feeder Park in September 2009 asking drivers if they were happy for this "conversion" to take place.<br />
<br />
This is in contravention of the Industrial and Provident Societies Act. If a mutual society, such a HALT, is to "convert" the original mutual society is dissolved. The thing is though, that HALT has not converted, it still exists as a mutual society, but Mr. Evans has tried to convince drivers that it has converted!!!<br />
<br />
What we are left with is a mutual society that is no longer acting in the best interests of its members, and a private company that IS acting in the best interests of its directors. Add to this the preference of BAA to conduct business with a few self interested drivers, rather than representatives of the various trade organisations, and you are left with a situation where taxi drivers at Heathrow feel as though they have no say in the running of their legitimate operation at the airport.<br />
<br />
This brings us back to the recent gate money increase. Why was BAA allowed to increase the TFP charge without proper consultation with the trade? A very murky story starts to emerge from evidence put forward by the trade reps who were supposed to have been consulted on the issue.<br />
<br />
BAA has recently called for a number of meetings with the trade reps, but at least four of these meetings were "cancelled" at the last minute, much to the annoyance of those who were supposed to attend. At the last meeting that did go ahead, it was announced by BAA that emails were sent out to all those concerned for a meeting to discuss the TFP entry fee, but only Mr. Evans had turned up! So, the 80p increase was agreed by default. What happened?<br />
<br />
According to BAA, proof is available that emails were indeed sent out to all the reps, but only Colin Evans seemed to be aware of this....funny, that!!! I know most of the trade reps personally, and I believe them when they say that they never received any emails that called for a meeting to discuss the TFP entry fee.<br />
<br />
I carried out an interesting exercise to see how this type of thing might happen. I sent an email to both myself and two other people, but I changed one letter in the email addresses of the other two people. I received the email, but the other two did not.....and I can prove that I sent the emails. How strange!!!<br />
<br />
Perhaps BAA should take a look at the way communications are sent to taxi trade reps in the future, after all, it is so easy to make a mistake!<br />
One final point. In what capacity did Mr. Evans act when he "represented" drivers at the entry fee meeting with BAA? Was he there as the acting chairman of HALT, or the director of HALTS? Surely he couldn't have been wearing two hats!!!<br />
.London Taxi Branch RMThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07127397443264820753noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7174500729727750448.post-54780898399008896962010-05-29T02:10:00.001+01:002010-05-31T15:23:32.506+01:00Issues to discuss...RMT London taxi branch Heathrow sub committee will be meeting on Wednesday the 2nd of June to discuss a number of issues affecting the London taxi drivers who work Heathrow Airport.<br />
<br />
These issues range from;<br />
<ol><li>Halt/Halts...</li>
<li>Mini-cabs at Heathrow...</li>
<li>M4 Bus lane...</li>
<li>Price increase at the feeder park...</li>
<li>Pickets/Demonstrations...</li>
</ol>We look forward to you joining and becoming part of the RMT and its London taxi branch...London Taxi Branch RMThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07127397443264820753noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7174500729727750448.post-61436313013365571852010-05-12T18:14:00.000+01:002010-05-12T18:14:44.514+01:00Heathrow Airport...Members of the RMT Heathrow airport sub committee will be meeting on Friday the 14th of May 2010 to discuss many issues including the continued abuse/law breaking of the M4 bus lane by a certain private hire company.<br />
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Many issues affect the London taxi-cab driver but the recent closure of UK airspace displayed how fragile the economy is at this present moment in time. With over 1000 extra taxi-cab drivers heading into London to seek work the ranks soon over spilled and the trade went straight back into a micro recession.<br />
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The London taxi trade needs the rank and work provided by the worlds busiest airport.<br />
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<a href="http://www.rmt.org.uk/">http://www.rmt.org.uk/</a>London Taxi Branch RMThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07127397443264820753noreply@blogger.com4