London Taxi Drivers

from General Secretary Bob Crow - TFL (RT/14/2)

Further to my circular dated 14th December (IR/608/11) I write to update branches on the TfL scheme to introduce Identifier tags from March 2012 for all Taxi driver members (Taxis and Private hire).This would distinguish between those drivers licensed for hire in all of Metropolitan London (green badge) and those who were licensed for particular sectors outside the centre (yellow badge). Yellow badge drivers might be typically licensed for the London Boroughs of Redbridge, Greenwich, Merton, Harrow, Hillingdon and so on.

RMT General Grades Committee:

That we note the legal advice received from Thompsons and are disappointed to learn that the chances of legal success in cases of defamation are very slim indeed. We therefore note that letters have been sent to the LTDA and the publishers of ‘Taxi’ and instruct the General Secretary to place any responses back in front of the General Grades Committee.

RMT General Grades Committee decision:

We note the correspondence from the London Taxi Branch regarding the 15 year vehicle age limit to be imposed on the London Taxi trade as part of proposals to reduce vehicle. We note that there is a conversion kit available for buses that allow them to become compliant with EURO 4 emissions regulations and have been made aware that such a conversion kit could be made available for the older black cabs.

RMT General Grades Committee decision:

That we note the resolution from our London Taxi Branch and the sentiments expressed within.

Therefore we instruct the General Secretary to arrange a meeting at the earliest opportunity at Unity House to discuss this matter further. The Lead Officer, Regional Organiser, members of the GGC and Brothers Stan Marut and Mick Tinnion to be in attendance.

London Taxi Branch and London Regional Council to be informed.

RMT General Grades Committee decision:

That we note the resolution from our London taxi Branch [below] and accordingly instruct the General Secretary to provide an up-to-date report on this issue. This report to be placed on file and back in front of the General Grades Committee as appropriate.

RMT General Grades Committee decision on TfL Taxi Engagement Policy:

We note the legal opinion on this matter, in which a key issue is whether London taxi drivers can be legally considered to have a worker/employer relationship with their licensing body, TfL.

We instruct the General Secretary to arrange a meeting with our legal adviser and officers of our London Taxis branch to discuss this issue further and provide the legal adviser with the information he has requested.

RMT General Grades Committee decision:

We note the legal advice received regarding the prospects of legal action over the repeated attacks on our members and our union in the Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association newspaper publication TAXI.

We instruct the General Secretary to arrange a meeting between our legal adviser and officers of our London Taxis branch to share information and discuss issues highlighted in the advice.

Updated legal advice to be obtained following this meeting and placed back in front of us.

The latest edition of London Taxi News, an anti-pedicab special, is now availale to download.

In this edition:

• Bob says NO - RMT calls for unity against London’s pedicab menace
• STOP PRESS - Cynical attempt to sneak in pedicab licensing
• What happens if Clause 17 becomes law?
• McDonnell scores important victory over pedicabs
• Shame on Taxi
• Unity, not sniping, is needed
• Westminster City Council supports pedicab ranks

You can download the full newsletter using the link below, or click 'read more' to view the pdf if you have a modern browser.

TAXI UNION RMT warned today that central London will be “jammed solid” with unlicensed and uninsured rickshaws as we head towards the London Olympics with the authorities refusing to lift a finger to clampdown on the unregulated trade.

RMT London Taxi Branch has a clear position of opposition to rickshaws in London and last month RMT parliamentary group convenor John McDonnell successfully objected to the TFL London Local Authorities Bill at Second Reading - specifically on the grounds that it would lead to the continued proliferation of unlicensed, unsafe rickshaws clogging up central London.