Taxi Drivers for Change /Siptu announce Strike action
Roy March 25th, 2009
On Different days!
Taxi Drivers For Change:
Press release for immediate release 24/3/09
Taxi Drivers For Change have announced that they will be bringing forward their national day of protest to Monday 30th of March. The campaign group are moving the day to support the working Men and Women of I.C.T.U. who have also announced a day of protest on the 30TH of March.
Taxi Drivers For Change have called for all Taxi drivers nationwide to support this nationwide 24hr stoppage and express their anger at the Minister for Transport Mr Noel Dempsey. The Minister continues to ignore our calls for an immediate suspension of entry into an over supplied market or to allow us to participate in a review and restructure of an industry in chaos.
The protest will begin at 4 a.m. on the 30th of March and will end at
4 a.m. on the 31st of March.
All ranks will be manned to support the protest and emergency services will be organised.
Spokesperson for the group Frank Byrne remarked, “It is encouraging to see increased numbers of Taxi drivers and other organisations now participate in the campaign. The numbers are growing all the time.”
SIPTU
SIPTU Taxi Drivers plan next protest at Dublin Airport for April 1st
Date Released: 24 Mar 2009
SIPTU will be holding its next protest in pursuit of the Taxi Drivers Rights Campaign at Dublin Airport from 7am until 11am on April 1st.
SIPTU Taxi Drivers voted by 98 per cent to support a Rights Campaign late last year. The main demands are:
* A lack of an Appeals Process against decisions of the Taxi Regulator
* The method for issuing licences and
* The health and safety problems arising from double jobbing and a lax licensing system for drivers and the travelling public alike.
Branch Organiser Jerry Brennan said that the Goodbody report endorsing an average working week of 52 hours and falling incomes was “the last straw. Over the coming weeks we will embark on an appropriate series of protests to highlight the plight of our members.”
- Taxi News
- Comments(15)
Roy, I received an e-mail from TDFC last night and the statement from Frank Byrne read: ” It is encouraging to see increased numbers of Taxi drivers FROM (not AND) other organisations now participate in the campaign.” It is a small but important difference. Maybe the wording was changed??. I, as a former member of NTDU have seen and spoken to dozens of current members of NTDU and ITDF on the protests. One of them even sits on a NTDU committee. But they are definitely still members of other organisations.
Have Ussher and Gorman dropped the dead donkey??
ICTU strike is off – they are going back into talks with Govt.
TDFC strike presumably goes ahead
dear oh dear
Sorry Roy, the TDFC website uses the same wording as you did .
Anyway, I have just heard on RTE news that the nationwide strike has been called off. You know, even though I have supported the marches and drive throughs, and will continue to do so, I am coming to think that we have to be much more imaginative in our efforts to explain and publicise our cause. I see that TDFC are requesting individual people to write to them with examples of their situation regarding financial, housing, and marital breakdown problems. They say that they want to relay these stories to T.D’s. That’s a constructive start, in my opinion. I wonder how others feel about a focused ‘name and shame’ camaign. For example this week,we picket An Post and demand that they ensure that postal workers cease their double-jobbing activities. The following week it could the Defence Forces,the next week could be an information week highlighting the I.D./COUNTY display on the dashboard. In this way we are not upsetting the public. The methods which I am advocating may not be as ‘sexy’ as mass protest,but they might be more effective. I am open to suggestions and criticism on this idea….We could bring this type of protest to any of the government agencies with whom we have problems i.e, Revenue Commissioners, Dept. of Transport, Dept. of Justice, Dept. of the Environment.
The protests are not having the desired or any effect, they are too placid, protests dates and time are chopping and changing e.g. to suit requests by Garda Siochana. Is the next protest/stoppage on the 1st April as advised at the last protest 20th March or Is it to be on the 30th even if the ICTU strike is off.
we need to step this up, plan a proper protest, block the streets, prevent drivers who don’t support the protests from working on protest days, Demsey himself said he won’t be intimadted by our protests. Well lets force him to listen and act to stop the petetic situation in the taxi insdustry.
the conclusions of the goodbody report is quite unbelievable particularly in light of the fact that that even taxi users are saying that the industry is grossly oversubscribed with taxies . i must say that i am only 2 years doing the job and like it very much but prior to that i was a regular taxi user myself and found people within the industry [pre deregulation ] to be highly courtious highly motivated and at all times observent of a code of practice that included not passing another driver till he got his fare . unfortunetly those same observations dont appear to be adheared to today . there is a ruthlesness , largely brought about by the greed of the double jobbing brigade whereby they would cut your throat to get to the next fare and in so doing have shown themselfs to be less then the committed trade unionist they proclaim themselfs to be when engaged in their secure 9 to 5 jobs while the rest of us poor unfortunite full time drivers swell the already overfilled ranks in search of a fare . the fundamental principles and the very foundations upon which the trade union movement was built is being severely tested by these people . i refuse to call them part timers as i believe this bestows upon them an air of respectability which the searcely deserve . the other problems i have observed are illegal drivers , people coming from other parts of the country to ply their trade , overcharging all of these problems collectivly have contributed to the hardship now being expeirenced by dublin drivers so in that context i believe it is right to challange any of these people about their MORAL obligations and to prevail upon them serious situation they have created by their unetchical practice .i have no doubt their response will be an unicquivicol fuck off but at leased you can go away happy in the knowledege that you challanged them to account . we cannot take a pragmatic approach to our plight we must secure proper regulation at all cost
I sympathise with the night drivers having to compete with part timers .However whenever drivers talk about the problems within the industry the part timer issue always arises .As a day driver myself the part timer wouldnt effect me as much ,we day timers have problems as well u know .Cant onto ranks ,,3 or 4 jobs a day (12hr shift) .As far as i can see NOTHING can stop the part timer from working a taxi ,weve always had them to a degree ,but obviously not as much as today.
@Roy I had a look at your new forum .It looks great HOWEVER,,you have a few topics ,,re cab companies ,,unions ,,, ect ,,,
I had a look at a reply under the ITDF thread and it is disgraceful ,The posters use of foul language is deplorable and it got very personal .Plus I hasten to add if comments like that are allowed to go un moderated I fear that legal action from a union or Federation is quite possible ..
@ Amadan I put up that post. It is my opinion and I am entitled to it. I personally blame Usher and his gang of bigitoted morons for a lot of the mess we are in. I fail to see why you would “fear legal action” from comments I made. My comments have nothing to do with you and you are not the opinion police. Who gave you the right to censor my views? Have a look at the thread for private hire and let us know what you think or maybe you see a distinction there?. Honestly is it any wonder we are in the shit we are in when people like you run around worrying if people like me will be sued by people who dont give a shit about us. Cop on man
@Amadan/fecks 11. I’m not so sure you’d be the one getting sued Fecks, although I understand the sentiment behind that post Amadan is right and that level of vitriol cannot be permitted
i really believe that what is called for now is a sustained cmpaign however long that takes . blocking up the city for a few hours now and again has achieved nothing . i think we have to cause absolute mayhem to be listened to . my proposed strathagy would include blocking of the ports, airport included, while also filling all parking spots on [say merrion sq] this would cause a human outcry from the suit brigade if they could not park their cars and put further pressure on dempsy . you may feel that we have not got enough people to do this at the same time but if everyone felt that we could get a result from this action then they might be prepared to support this proposed action i believe this would only work if people were prepared for the long haul and not just a protest now and again
I think it is high time to ingnore the taxi regulator and go straight to the minister for transport and put a picket on his door and force the issue.
I heard only this morning that a friend of mine applied for a p.s.v and was told there is a eighteen month waiting list .
I feel this is beyond breaking point , and a all out strike is needed , not letting anyone operate , even with there so called emergency stickers.
There is no need in this country for regulators as there is only four million people in the country not forty million, Clerical staff put in the way of the public so the elected minister can have a easy ride the time is to act was over three years ago, but better late than never.
Gorman and Usher are useless as spokes men for this industry, its time to take this action before there is nothing left at all excecpt for thoses that get a hand out and don’t have to worrie about making some sort of a target.
Dave O’Byrne, I watched Kathleen being quizzed yet again on “Oireachtas Report” last night. Her mantra never changes. That is to say, she just repeats the same old nonsense: taxi drivers are operating in an open market and they should have been well aware of the risks involved before entering the business. End of story. She views us (and she said this yesterday) as no different to couriers or hauliers.
Talking to Dempsey or his civil servants is a waste of time. I don’t proclaim to have the answers but the first stumbling block to progress is the Fab Four “representative” organisations. One powerful and coherent voice,such as TDFC, is the only way forward.
“…taxi drivers are operating in an open market and they should have been well aware of the risks involved before entering the business…”
I was aware of the risks, or thought I was. 1) I might be mugged, robbed or assaulted. 2) I might have to work nights to make ends meet. 3) I might have days where earnings were down, to be balanced by busy nights – the good with the bad, as it were.
I was NOT aware that I was investing my own hard earned money in a business for which unemployed people would be given grants and handouts to compete with me.
I was NOT aware that the exam I passed was a sham, and that I would be competing with people who have not got the most basic qualification required for the job, i.e. a knowledge of the city they operate in. Why the bloody hell was I asked to do an exam at all?
I was NOT aware that I was investing in a business where I would be expected to comply with crippling legislation, only to find myself operating in a free for all market with absolutely rampant and unchecked illegality.
I was NOT aware that I was investing in a business where the goalposts would constantly be changing, with nonsensical additional requirements like fire extinguishers, meter recalibrations for no good reason, stickers on windows, no stickers on windows, fees increasing a hundredfold, no way of budgeting in advance for all the extra expenses to be added on a whim.
I invested over €20,000 of my own money to buy into a business where I could be my own boss. I was sold that idea by the promise of new and progressive standards under this regulator’s office, an industry I could be proud to be part of. If I had known it was really a facade for a third world bottom rung last chance motel industry, rife with crime and corruption, with a rate of return on my investment of less than half the minimum wage, and less than half the equivalent social welfare payment after operating expenses, I might have found somewhere else to invest that €20,000. Like a bloody casino table. At least I might have had a snowball’s chance of a return from that.
I am now unemployed, with €20,000 of debt round my ears, thanks to the two faced lies and arrogance of that conceited bitch. She will roar in hell for the lives and families she has destroyed. That’s one hell of a legacy to take with you to your grave. She had better start praying to God now.
Nigel,
I am with you 100%. But at the moment she, and others, hold all the cards.
I’m out of it (the taxi business), but I still say that until drivers wake up and smell the coffee and ACT in a unified, coherent manner, they are on a loser.
Dissenters need to be weeded out. By dissenters I include part-timers, illegals, double-jobbers and also fellas who have their mortgages paid and their kids reared,who don’t want any hassle.Those sneaky nay-sayers always got to me; “Im alright Jack…protesting is a waste of time”.
I continue to support TDFC in any way that I can. I urge drivers to do likewise…but it’s an “open market”—even for “representative” groups.
Kathleen Doyle is a career civil servant. Taxi drivers are the least of her worries, and though I hate to say it, she obviously knows who butters her bread.
She said as much as that to the Oireachtas committee.
Maybe you would like to visit a new website at http://www.democratic-reform.ie and give me your comments. I think we need a major change in HOW we are governed.
A Full time Taxi Driver.
Frank