The E-Petitions were read in parliament by the Clerk of the House on Tuesday (9th March) and referred to the minister on Wednesday. This is normal procedure after the close of the petitions but the process has begun.
The Numbers
The E-Petitions only had 150 signatures for Petition 1 and 120 signatures for Petition 2 but the written petitions with 1072 and 1009 respectively were given to Peter Wellington when I met with him at parliament house on Wednesday and he was very positive about fighting both issues.
He has assured me that he is on side with this and will present our cases, using the written petitions himself and asking direct questions of the minister, Rachel Nolan.
I received some late arrivals after that which I will have to forward on, so at present the combined totals of signatures received are;
Petition 1 - Taxi Companies' Abuse of Power over Drivers:
150 + 1190 = 1340
Petition 2 - Remove Recognition of Taxi Council of Queensland as Peak Industry Body:
120 + 1159 = 1279
There are probably many forms that have been lost or have not made their way back to me as yet but we will call this the end tally.
The Arguments for the Petitions
I am at present compiling the argument for each proposition along with supportive evidence.
The main arguments have already been stated on the web site under "January Petitions" at
http://www.cdaq.org.au/2010reform/janpetition.htm
and "Fairness and Justice for Taxi Drivers" at
http://www.cdaq.org.au/2010reform/fairjusttaxi.htm
If you have not read these pages, I ask that you do to fully understand the issues and CDAQ's policy on them. As always you are invited to ask questions and state your opinion. I would be keen to receive them.
Supportive Evidence
I have had a number of cases recently which support our case for Petition 1 "Abuse of Power" and I will be forwarding the full details of each case to Peter Wellington to back our proposition.
Azim
Azim in Brisbane was charged the cost of repair to a taxi for damage caused by a passenger and the result of faulty equipment. This should have been a no fault accident covered by his insurance for which his operator charged $8.80 per shift. The amount of $300 was claimed to be his debt and when he refused to pay, the operator called Black and White and had his PIN pulled. When I spoke with Black and White's General Manager, I questioned why it was the company's business and not a civil matter. I was told that all the operator has to do is call Black and White and say that a debt is owed and request that the driver's PIN be pulled to force him to pay and that is all Black and White need to know.
BAC Concrete Barriers
Also in Brisbane, both taxi companies have fined drivers for driving over the cement barriers in the "snake" feeder at domestic airport. Although I agree that drivers should not do this as it damages the concrete and costs BAC, there are better remedies that could be negotiated to solve the problem than the companies flexing their muscles, issuing fines and threatening to pull drivers' PIN's.
The taxi dispatch companies are now vigilantes for hire. Need a problem fixed? Just tell them as they have control over their drivers. Who gave the companies this power to exert control and act as hired guns? Well no one really. They just took it by default because they operate the system that provides the ability.
Nathan Macauley
In his latest letter, Townsville Taxis manager still refuses to reinstate this driver who has been totally cleared by Queensland Transport twice and false claims regarding this case is only providing more evidence for legal action by Nathan. I hope he sees fit to follow this through. The manager has defamed Nathan and made false claims that will likely result in a costly settlement but it did not need to be. According to people I have consulted ,drivers, company personnel, local operators and Queensland Transport staff at high level, Nathan should be have been driving months ago.
Del Delaney
This is probably the most blatant abuse. Who would not object to being told to do a "dead run" from Gladstone to Tannum Sands for a job likely to be worth around $5, particularly when you are not the rostered car for that day? Del refused such a job and was threatened with action under Section 62.
Del again refused and was told that the director had said she must do it. Her reply, "You can stuff your job and that goes for (director) as well.", resulted in the company issuing fines under company by-laws totalling $450. The fines were for misusing the company equipment, $225, and making offensive remarks about the director, $225. She refused to pay and the PIN was removed.
David McTaggart
David is a very experienced and highly respected driver in Toowoomba. An abusive driver was repeatedly and loudly proclaiming obscenities at David, clearly audible to surrounding public.
This caused David to say a number of times, "Don't say that to me.", but the driver continued in clear range of the public. In frustration, David grabbed the driver by the shirt but then let go.
This was backed by other drivers who witnessed it. Technically assault but investigating police determined that there was no charge to answer.
Not the company. The manager immediately cancelled his PIN but took no action against the original offender, a foreign student driver who ignited the situation with his very public demonstration of abuse.
Of course there are hundreds, even thousands of examples of this nature. The abuse is likely to be found in every service area. It does not matter whether people are guilty of an offence or not. This rough justice backed by kangaroo court appeal processes would not be tolerated in any other industry.
The bailee situation which makes us non-employees is being used to avert fair and just treatment.
Too Much Power is Dangerous to All
It is not only about the wrong-doers. There are better ways of dealing with these matters, if the drivers do the wrong thing. Methods that promote respect, not cause respectable people to leave the industry. There is also the obvious danger of innocent people suffering in this.
The real underlying danger, as we all know, exists where this power can be used to intimidate and prevent criticism of the taxi company or its directors and certainly silence whistleblowers who may otherwise reveal something which threatens public service and/or safety.
The exercise of the petitions demonstrated this. So many people questioned whether they would be exposed to the company if they signed the petitions. People who are supposed to be independent, responsible business people, conducting their own affairs as bailees, feel threatened by the people whom they indirectly pay for a sub-standard service. Many did sign but needed assurance that the signatures would be kept confidential. Some simply would not take the chance.
This is Australia, land of the Anzacs not Nazis. It's the 21st Century. Even Communist Soviet Union no longer exists.
There is something very wrong with this and we must make people outside the industry realise it.
More Evidence
The ability of the companies to exert this power should be enough to convince any fair person that it should not exist, let alone the blatant examples here which have come to my attention in past few months but let's not leave it to chance. You may know of better examples which will aid the cause.
If you have any examples of abuse of company power whereby someone had the PIN pulled for no justifiable reason or for an exaggerated offence as a means to exert power or control, please send it to me. It will be kept confidential but I want to supply evidence as much as possible of the gravity of the abuse and how it silences good people from speaking out about the wrongs in the industry and stifles debate about proper solutions to our problems.
The same goes for the second proposition about the Taxi Council not representing the majority of stakeholders in the industry.
If you wish you can send your statements directly to Peter Wellington but please keep it on the current propositions. His email address is nicklin@parliament.qld.gov.au
If you send anything to him directly, please cc it to me as well so I can keep tabs on the information and follow it up. Otherwise send it to me and I will ensure it is passed on.
We will deal with other matters in time. For now, it is best to stick to the matters on the table and not overload the situation, so please, only matters relating to the petitions.
Although, if you feel like expressing your appreciation to Peter Wellington for taking up the fight, a "thank you" email would be a great idea.
The Strategy
The key moves here are to try to get the government to take away from taxi companies the power to deny drivers the means of earning a living at their whim and establish a process for independently settling disputes (Petition 1) and to open the industry to widespread consultation by establishing a body that considers your situation and provides you with the access to be heard on policy decisions (Petition 2).
Significant Numbers
I was disappointed that we did not get the target of 5,000 signatures but I have been assured that the numbers are significant and considering a number of factors, most importantly the intimidation itself, we have proven that there is a case in each.
Remember, there are not many large operators who would be brave enough to chance the company knowing they support our cause. The sub-leasing arrangements place many of them at the whim of the taxi company in a life or death situation business-wise. So forget about collecting signatures at the large bases.
The fact that the Taxi Council used its relationship with BAC, to have our posters about the petitions removed and the collection of signatures on Brisbane Airport land banned, may have costs us thousands of signatures. One collector obtained over 200 signatures, gathered while waiting in the feeder for a fare, over three days before being told to stop.
The supervisors were so vigilant that I was prevented from handing out reminders for the Don Brown Inquiry Brisbane and Ipswich Sessions.
The Taxi Council really went into panic mode over Petition 2 which caused me to advise all collectors to be discreet. Do you think it does not have an effect?
The number of drivers who pass through the airport feeders means that the vast majority of drivers could be reached in that one location with plenty of time to consider the propositions and sign.
There were some energetic collectors in other areas, but Brisbane with more than 7,000 drivers alone is the key. So it was word of mouth, email and city ranks. With no paid staff the task was mammoth.
I spent six hours with one other person on the Creek Street, rank and we gathered over one hundred signatures as drivers passed through,
We also must realise now that things can be made to change but being right is not the only thing. It is political and we need to be right in numbers, so let's keep the pressure up.
Are They Getting Nervous?
Curiously, the Taxi Industry Advisory Committee meeting, scheduled for Wednesday, the first since November, 2009, was cancelled on Tuesday. The day the petitions were read in parliament.
It is not certain that there is a connection but one can't help but question the timing considering that the TIAC is overloaded with four Taxi Council of Queensland officials plus a couple of friends.
Pity, as I was looking forward to raising the matter of the petitions and the Don Brown inquiry.
I received notice by email on Tuesday claiming that Queensland Transport's Acting General Manager, Ryan Huelin was called away to Horn Island and as a result the committee meeting could not go ahead. Must have been a big emergency.
Hon Craig Wallace MP Meeting
Finally to bring things up to date.
The previously promoted meeting with the member for Minister for Main Roads and member for Thuringowa, Hon Craig Wallace MP, went ahead on Friday, February 16, in his Townsville electoral office. There was only room for 12 drivers to fit in the room so others waited outside. All in all, the report was around twenty which is a good roll up.
Mr Wallace must have thought he was under siege with a room full of cabbies and the meeting resonated in Brisbane.
I was at a meeting with Queensland Transport hierarchy on Monday (8th), and was told that Craig Wallace had spoken about the meeting with Rachel Nolan and passed on the concerns that the drivers expressed.
Of course, I knew all about it but it was interesting that I was able to discuss it with QT top brass who was familiar with the details of the meeting a little over one week later. Great work, guys. You must have impressed with your points. It is the statewide appearance of support we need to demonstrate.
The main thrust of the meeting was to show that the petitions were backed by drivers all over because the problems in the industry are common throughout the state. Both petitions were high on the agenda but other important matters were broached.
Craig Wallace reportedly expressed concern when the drivers cited examples of Townsville Taxis abuse of power by pulling the PIN on drivers.
Drivers also took the opportunity to raise concerns about the response of the Police and dispatch company operators over fare evasions and assaults. Mr Wallace asked that he be supplied with hard evidence and the effect negative responses had on drivers.
Those present have said they were convinced that their member was genuinely interested and concerned and that the meeting would do much to further promote our cause. Judging from experience at the meeting Queensland Transport on Monday, he is certainly true to his word.
As I understand it, Craig Wallace has had a detailed discussion with Rachel Nolan about the meeting.
Craig Wallace deserves our appreciation for this. It shows that often lack of communication on our part means that our representatives in government have no reason to believe that anything is wrong.
Maybe we should all consider how our local member of parliament can be availed to promote our issues.
Our thanks to Craig Wallace for his time and concern. We look forward to his continued practical support.
Congratulations to the organiser of the meeting as well. Great effort.
All helps tremendously to prove that our problems are real and widespread and the support for reform is genuine and strong.
Well that's all for now but I should have an update soon with Peter Wellington's presentation of the written petitions and signatures in parliament and questions to the minister.
Stay tuned.
Lee
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