GMB PERSPECTIVE
At the time of writing I have just received my self-employment payment from the government. This was a very easy process and with not having any income since early March, this has helped.
The payment is based on the last three years’ accounted profits. However, what really pees me off is that I have seen my profits fall each year and my working hours increased over the last three years with the last year being terrible. And this is all down to that other virus. - Uber - where it has flooded Brighton & Hove with hundreds of cars not licensed by the council, as it has done all over the UK. And how can anyone state that it offers a better service when it doubles and even triples the fares at the first drop of rain!
Having spoken to some Uber users here the usual response is: “Oh no, we use a local company when the Uber surge pricing kicks in”. To which my usual reply is: “Well one day there will not be any local companies here, so get used to paying double plus more often!” This is usually met by a blank expression.
My opinion of such ‘trendy’ people will remain private and confidential.
All the companies here have their own excellent apps, but the trendy Uber lovers seem to think that a multi-national heavily subsidised predatory pricing company is a better one to use - but we all make our own choices.
However, I should really be ashamed of myself when I read that Uber bookings are down by 80 per cent and I thought: “Oh dear, what a shame, never mind”. Snigger snigger.
I feel like I am sitting at the back of the classroom again.
I should also be ashamed in having a smirk on my face when I read that Uber is now getting rid of thousands of employees. But I am not, because quite frankly I have seen the decimation of the trade caused by that heavily subsidised predatory pricing (yes I know I have used this description two para- graphs back... but I am making the most of it here) virus that has swept through the veins of the trade.
I have sat at the same desk with the Uber reps and legal bods (whom I will not name) many times here in Brighton & Hove, and lis- tened to the drivel that has spewed out from these people who all seem to come from the same ‘Uber-Speak’ training camp.
JUNE 2020
It raises my heart a tad to think that the Uber-Virus is in trouble and more than likely it is now bowing to investors such as the Softbank black hole money pit company. The only difference is that when you and I are overdrawn it is our problem. With the likes of Uber it is the bank’s problem.
I have no doubt it will survive, but I sincerely hope that Dara Khosrowshahi is feeling as much pressure about his job as the local established cab driver has done since Uber’s arrival in the UK. Bitter - you bet I am! The only difference is that I have no doubt that DK has several millions in the bank and won’t have to rely on a personal govern- ment scheme or a local food bank to put food on the table.
Now... getting away from all of this gloom and doom.
I am a member of the Brighton & Hove Streamline Taxis Association, which is a co- operative owned by its members and was established way back in 1936. We were approached by an organisation called ‘For- ward Facing’ as there is a dear little chap called Alfie who loves our taxis and has relied on our wheelchair cabs to get around. But with this lockdown in place this has made it very difficult for him to see all those taxis which brings him so much joy.
We were asked if some drivers could send him a video message, which of course we were delighted to help out with. But I thought we could do a bit more than just a few video messages, so I got my thinking cap on and set to work on producing some- thing much more personal for Alfie which can be seen at
www.bhtaxinews.cab/alfie. The local paper picked up on this and ran a story:
tinyurl.com/argus-alfie
I am delighted to say that young Alfie, his mum and his carers enjoyed our produc- tion and a video was made showing young Alfie watching our video, which if it doesn’t make your heart melt then you are made of stone!
So why am I telling you this? Well, with all the gloom and doom around, the joy of see- ing young Alfie loving our video puts things into perspective. And I also wondered if any of you would like to spare a few minutes of your time to expand on another production that I can put together to bring even more joy to this young chap. It really would be fantastic to have a load of drivers from around the UK sending in their own person- al messages to Alfie in the same way as shown on our video.
If you would like to help out - and I am really asking for your help in this - whether you have a purpose built hackney carriage or saloon cab or a private hire vehicle of any shape or size, then please make a video based on the same theme as in our video. Introduce yourself, show off your cab, and make it interesting.
If you go to
www.bhtaxinews.cab/alfie you will see exactly how this needs to be done - it must be shot in landscape mode and not portrait.
Hopefully I will be here again in July, where maybe I will need to apologise to Southend Borough Council....
Andy Peters Secretary GMB Brighton & Hove Taxi Section
andy.peters@
gmbtaxis.org.uk
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