Road Closed from On the Barricade on Vimeo.

RMT London Taxi Branch Chairman Mick Bailey updates members in this edition of “RMT London Taxi News”. In "Road Closed", long term trade union activist Mick looks back on London 2012 and looks to the future for the taxi trade, and what can be learned from the subjugation of the best taxi service in the world.

Music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

In this Olympic special edition:

• All Grades Of Transport Employees Are Entitled To A Decent Financial Reward
• TfL Strike
• Fully-Trained Station Staff Count!
• Your Reps Report
• Olympic Issues For Taxi Drivers

TAXI UNION RMT today demanded that Olympics chiefs take a fresh look at their transport arrangements for the entire games period and that they factor in the crucial role that could be played by London’s existing fleet of licensed taxis

The “Get Ahead of the Games” site talks about the disabled accessing public transport but excludes the one vehicle that is fully "on demand" and disability ready, the London Taxi.

RMT’s Parliamentary group has submitted Early Day Motions on three issues that are very important to our taxi driver members.

Please take a couple of minutes to contact your MP to urge him/her to sign these motions. This will help our campaigns to defend our taxi driver members’ livelihoods (as well as helping the environment, congestion reduction and public safety!).

EDM59 – London Taxis and the Olympic Route Network

That this House notes the inevitable pressures on London's transport network throughout the Olympic Games; further notes that the Olympic Route Network is an important component of transport plans for the Olympics;

From RMT London Transport Region Executive Janine Booth

INDUSTRIAL ACTION

• LU service control – decision today
• Cubic – ballot re pay (2.5%)/Olympics
• Cleaners – Initial/ISS
• Tube Lines – this week’s action – BW report
• Thales – ballot put on today
• Telent/Quinns – ballot decided, still being prepared
• TfL Olympics – ballot decided, still being prepared
• Time taken to prepare ballots – verbal report given

We note the resolution from our London Taxi branch and fully support its sentiments. It is vital that Taxis are able to use the fastest and most direct routes, in the interests of both passengers and drivers and to avoid unnecessary congestion.

We therefore agree that road signage changes should not apply to Taxis, and instruct the General Secretary to request our Parliamentary Group to table an Early Day Motion calling for an exemption.

London Taxi branch to be advised.

We note the resolution from our London Taxi branch and fully support its sentiments. Current plans for the exclusive VIP Olympic Lane will severely restrict the ability of Taxi drivers to earn a living, and will deny passengers the opportunity to use Taxis.

We therefore instruct the General Secretary to request our Parliamentary group to submit an Early Day Motion calling for the legal right for London Taxis to be allowed to drive in the VIP Olympic Lane for the duration of the Olympics and/or London Taxis to be classified as official Olympic vehicles.

London Taxi branch to be advised.

RMT's London Taxis branch passed the following resolutions at its June meeting:

1. "that the London Taxi Branch hold demonstrations throughout the event of the Olympics if the Branch continues to be excluded from meetings at Taxis and Private Hire, Transport for London on matters related to the London taxi trade".
2. "that the London Taxi Branch set up a "strike committee" in relation to (1) above and to look at ways of blocking Olympic Lanes.