John Vasey, Wakefield Socialist Party
Wakefield council is threating to remove licences for vehicles over ten years old. Not being on the country’s rich list, fully upgrading to the now-required vehicles is unaffordable to the Wakefield taxi drivers.
This is a shorter timeframe than surrounding authorities. This isn’t the only long-standing issue drivers have with the council.
There is the six-month compliance test. And the council is withholding restitution due from a case it lost five years ago, which amounts to about £500 per driver.
So 120 took part in the latest strike protest by the taxi drivers’ union on 26 July.
To cap it all, trade meetings between the parties, which should be held regularly, have also been ditched, cutting off that avenue for discussion too.
For years, unelected council officers have also denied drivers direct access to the elected council body. But only one elected councillor, independent Akef Akbar, broke ranks with the heavily Labour-controlled council, by speaking to the crowd with his support. Another councillor, Nadiah Sharp, was kicked out of Labour for backing the taxi drivers.
A sizeable delegation from the protest filled the council chamber gallery. Akef Akbar criticised the double standards of the council which, on the one hand expresses solidarity with RMT rail strikers, and on the other fights the taxi drivers’ union.
Half an hour into the council meeting, a protester’s shout signalled a walkout from the gallery, in disgust at the council’s refusal to allow discussion on these issues.
We need councillors that will stand up for all working people in struggle, and our own new mass party too.
