UNITE VIEWPOINT
Perhaps the latest job interviews are even ‘Coronavirus’ based: “Are you able to remain intransigent even when faced with overwhelming evidence to weaken your position?” and maybe: “Are you able to totally disregard the events around you in the enduring arrogant belief that you are right and everyone else is wrong?”
The final part of the interview are the usual questions from applicants to their poten- tial employer, perhaps: “Am I required to be DBS checked for this post?” “No, we expect and require everyone else amongst our licensees to be checked and to prove that they are fit and proper, but we’re not required to – it’s excellent isn’t it!”
There’s a whole different debate to be had and one that we’ve had before, over whether officers should be required to prove that they are indeed fit and proper’!
Turning now to what should be required of a potential local authority licensing officer; before I do and for the purposes of com- pleteness, I will lay out my qualifications and expertise. I have been continuously licensed in the taxi industry for over 30 years, I previously also ran a very success- fully taximeter dealership and went on to be employed by the market leader taxime- ter manufacturer as National Sales and Service Manager. I am experienced in taxi legislation, taximeter tariff construction and device approvals, amongst a wealth of other taxi related specialities and exper- tise.
There was a time you know when local authority licensing officers were drawn from retired police officers and although this wasn’t always ideal, such people brought with them varied life skills and actually had some experience of the sub- ject matter.
Surely when recruiting licensing officers who will come into contact with a raft of diverse people and subjects; character traits such as empathy, open and fair mindedness, independent thinking and the power of logical reasoning, should all number amongst the MUST HAVES in terms of employment. These should also be backed by a sound subject knowledge and some experience in the transport industry, preferably a taxi related indus- try.
Sadly, the reality of all this is anything but... Time and again, the trade, right across the length and the breadth of this nation, is treated to the tyrannical rule of a bunch of badly recruited, ill informed, inexperienced intransigents, who regularly argue that the moon is green and made of cheese, even when served with solid evidence to the contrary. People who behave like they’re playing with their own ‘private train set’, unaware that this is not some game we’re playing, this is real life and many families’ safety and financial security depend on the results and the officers’ actions!
Now before anyone within the ranks of the ‘Inexperienced Meddlers’ jumps to ‘man the barricades’, I thought I would just include a real contemporary example of these “officers” at work, I use the latter term extremely loosely - work that is!
Our local council is refusing to licence replacement vehicles due to officers work- ing from home and the risk of infection associated with them inspecting a vehicle. I cannot help but note the crass hypocrisy here, bearing in mind the same council is ‘highlighting’ the use of untested screens by drivers despite the potential risk(s) ver- sus the officer’s refusal to take similar or even (some might say) lesser potential risk(s)!? QED.
I’ve often questioned the effective dis- charge of various councils’ licensing functions, in terms of oversight and scruti- ny. These people truly seem to be an egregious bunch.
I’ve previously said, ‘...A group of rudder- less officers wandering around in a dark room crashing into things and then not having to pay for the breakages...’ A suc- cinct description, that I still stand by!
Finally and in respect of the ‘Coronavirus’ Pandemic; for my part, I believe that trade members should be encouraged to return to work, when and only when it is safe to do so. I also endorse Public Health England’s recommendation of keeping a two metre distance from others – which is clearly a physical impossibility in a saloon car!
Further, I believe that there should be direct parity between the assistance given to employees and to the self-employed and that members of the taxi trade should not be forced to take a decision to prema- turely return to work based upon the avoidance of destitution put ahead of their own personal safety and that of their fam- ilies!
In the meantime, I advise you to remember the age old mock Latin phrase; ILLEGITIMI NON CARBORUNDUM. Roughly translat- ed to be – Don’t let the b*ggers grind you down!
Drive carefully and above all, stay well...
Article supplied by: Sean Ridley Secretary Unite the Union South East Region (Cab Section)
Sean.Ridley@unitetheunion.org
JUNE 2020
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