Taxi drivers set for strike next week
Taxi drivers are to strike next week following a row with the industry regulator, it was announced today.
The action is one of the first spearheaded by the new Joint Taxi Council (JTC), an umbrella group for four unions representing drivers.
In a statement, the JTC said it would call on members to withdraw services next Thursday morning at the same time a petition is delivered to Transport Minister Noel Dempsey.
The petition, which is still being gathered, calls for the resignation of the Taxi Regulator, Kathleen Doyle.
The JTC said it also agreed to call upon all members and all taxi drivers concerned about the industry to support a full withdrawal of service between 7am and 11am on the day.
The organisation has hit out at a number of decisions from the regulator and is also unhappy at the progress on its talks with the Department of Transport.
“The fact that the Commission [for Taxi Regulation] has stated on record it will not negotiate with taxi drivers or their representatives is totally unacceptable and the manner in which significant changes have been made without consultation has led to huge frustration within the industry,” said the JTC.
“The recent decision to increase the SPSV (Small Public Service Vehicle) drivers licence from €3 to €250 is the latest example of the draconian decisions being imposed upon the industry without consultation.”
The four organisations making up the JTC are Siptu, the Irish Taxi Drivers Federation, the National Private Hire and Taxi Association and the National Taxi Drivers Union.
