Dictatorship of Frank Bynre calling Taxi strikes without a union or mandate

Frank Byrne dictates

It would appear that the claims of Frank Byrne who set up the Irish Taxi Council that he has 15000 members are a complete fabrication. Taxi drivers who want to make a living are being intimidated on Frank Byrne's self declared "strike days".

Despite the fact that Frank Byrne has no legal right to negotiate on anyone's behalf he is calling national strikes. According to one Waterford taxi driver Brendan Byrne

My first impressions of the G Hook interview with Frank Byrne was that he was a liar. He alleged that the protest on Thursday would be a peaceful protest, from my experience with protests in Waterford City he couldn't be further from the truth. Protesting drivers blocking ranks, verbally abusing drivers, intimidation of working drivers, " generally the type of behaviour taxi drivers are renowned for", a type of behaviour that i know we're all not associated with. Its a perception that's been created by our previous colleagues and some existing drivers

The same driver states

(1) Frank Byrne is mis informed, he believes that the Waterford Taxi Ass:: is represented of the Taxi Drivers in Waterford, he couldn't be further from the truth. There- fore the action he takes is misleading, his information is based on hear say.
(2) Secondly to keep you interested, under the Trade Unions Act 1941 certain criteria needs to be fulfilled before the Minster will engage in negotiations, ITC ( and i stand corrected) do not meet these standards, firstly they need a negotiations licence, which they don't have and, for every member they require, €200 to be lodged in the High Court. ITC claim to have 15000 members, that's a lot of money.
(3)If they are not legal why are they claiming to effect change, when they don't have the legal basis to make change or to negotiate with the Minster..
(4) Who is Wilbur Shaw and Noel McLaurance, (Waterford City) I've never elected theses individuals but they claim to have all the decision making power to call stoppages in Waterford. Which directly affects my ability to earn.
(5) Work in the area of knowledge, based on majority rule.
(6) Frank Byrne( i don't doubt your commitment but your getting it wrong) Waterford Taxi Ass; STOP this is real lives.Look my daily takings are shit but i need them
(7) Previous stoppages have achieved nothing.

Hypocrites Representatives, in Waterford City calling stoppages, when the very representatives( which i never elected) are double jobbing with Markets etc etc, when they have no kids little expense and property all over the place, its a conflict of interest.
(9) Get Real

There appears to be a level of intimidation and across the country Byrne's tiny cadre are intimidating decent taxi drivers who never joined the Irish Taxi Council, who were never balloted and who DO NOT SUPPORT Frank Byrne's approach.

While there is no denying there is a crisis in the taxi industry and drivers find it hard to make ends meet, Byrne is calling strikes with no popular mandate or support. It would appear that at most his followers number the hundreds not the thousands but some taxi drivers say that the claims of 15000 members are should read 15.

This blogger has stated before that Byrne represents a political interest with a far right anti immigrant agenda. His Irish Taxi Council are getting drunk on publicity and are falsely claiming to represent taxi men.
The latest flier from ITC calls for a meeting in the middle of the first strike day when drivers in theory are supposed to be picketing ranks
One taxi driver asserts that Byrne is stupid as he is calling a meeting in Swords to determine the length of the strike. However as one driver humorously stated on Irishtaxi.org referring to the ITC's latest flier

how stupid is the author of that flier , how can there be drivers manning ranks with pickets on a 24hr stoppage but yet it request(s) them to attend a meeting during a planned stoppage

Taxi drivers are calling Byrne's campaign dictatorship

"Dictatorship.I dont see any other business on the agenda .As none of the agenda interests me I dont think I shall attend"

It is time to shine a light on Frank Byrne and his self appointed role as a national representative taxi drivers. he is using a bad situation for drivers to promote his anti immigrant agenda.

Something needs to be done about this as it appears that tempers are flaring and just the other day a taxi driver was run over by a fellow taxi driver

Anyone know how that taxi driver is who was knocked down by a colleague up in the overflow(Mondello)the other day?

Time for some action against this fake union
Below is their latest meeting.

The Irish Taxi Council
E mail: info@irishtaxicouncil.org

Ph: 087 1471818

Protest Action Update

No contact has been received directly from the Minister or his department. Our demands remain the 11 recommendations of the Oireachtas Committee.

Escalation of protest begins on Monday 22/03/10 at 5 AM with full withdrawal of services.



A general meeting has been called for 2 pm on Monday 22/03/10 at the National Show Centre Cloghran Swords Co Dublin.

All full time drivers and rep bodies nationwide are welcome and all should attend if they wish to have a say in their future.

Agenda

1. Length of stoppage.

2. Protest Action.

3. Legal challenge.