For pictures and original reports please click these links.
Melbourne Australia taxi strike
--- In Sydney_TaxiCorruption@yahoogroups.com, "union_faruque" wrote:
Re: melbourne Australia taxi strike
Why do I have to waste my time with a RACIST SON OF A BITCH who like the Channel Nine does not read the news papers or listens radio reports concerning a giant protest by genuine taxi drivers in Victoria and then questions, "why did they took off their shirts"?
Providing a safe workplace to the workers is the most basic duty of a civilized society and a fundamental right of any worker. Where is the "Duty of Care" YOU `white man'? Are you a friend of a taxi driver or arse licker of the taxi mafia?
On Thu, 1/5/08, Ross Nelson wrote:
From: Ross Nelson Subject: RE: [NSWTDAFORUM] NSW to Victorian Taxi Drivers' SafetyTo: "'union_faruque'" Received: Thursday, 1 May, 2008, 4:40 PM
Pray tell us ahmed, why did they take their shirts off?
One radio reporter said it was to show the colour of their skin because an element of the protesters wanted to play the race card.
rossco
--- In freeamericanow@yahoogroups.com, "Jodie" wrote:
Re: NSW to Victorian Taxi Drivers' Safety
Hi Taxi,
Your Blog was very interesting, and I'm glad to know you are involved in Taxi Drivers' Safety. The murders of the two taxi drivers sounded very bad, and dangerous.
Taxi, I hope you are doing well. Be very careful, and take care of yourself!!
NSW TAXI DRIVERS ASSOCIATIONINCORPORATING BAILEE DRIVERS, OWNER DRIVERS AND LESSEE DRIVERS
Inc.no. 9882558 ABN 98 653 928 763 PO Box 322, Alexandria NSW 2015
Taxi drivers used to be expendable commodities like the ANZACS to the British. Greedy taxi networks and companies did nothing to save human lives. However, due to the courageous stand of a few dedicated taxi drivers, the NSW community got the Keatsdale Report, Dalziel Report and Cook Reports; all vital in achieving taxi driver safety. The grateful community of NSW gave enough money thorough the "$1.00 flag-fall rise" for taxi-drivers' safety with the GPS and screen recommendations of the Keatsdale Report. The NSW government then extracted $40.00 a day from the vulnerable taxi drivers for their own safety. In return they got unworkable cameras and unreliable GPS systems.
All of those little achievements are going to be buried by the partisan Madden Report- under the leadership of the NSW Labor Government. Tragically this $1000.00 per word David Madden Report is without any direction or vision whatsoever.In the meantime two more taxi drivers were brutally murdered in NSW and many more were robbed and injured.
Today with our Victorian colleagues stood up for their own safety in facing down the police in Melbourne.Channel Nine sinking to unfortunate disparagement and calculated derision of taxi drivers amounting to veiled racism could not resist the insult of describing the attention winning stunt on the part of the drivers of removing their shirts in the wintry weather thus " for reasons best known to themselves drivers removed their shirts". How puerile.Penultimately what drivers want here in NSW and undoubtedly Victoria is workable legislation, regulation and mechanisms ensuring workers' safety to save lives.
Media Manager, Mobile: 041 091 4118,
April 30, 2008
--- In NSWTDAEXEC@yahoogroups.com, "union_faruque" wrote:
Re: One way to get attention
Racist Channel Nine did not know why these people took their shirts off! The Victorian Labor Government should not have to play blind. Please follow these safety reports mentioned in
NSW to Victorian Taxi Drivers' Safety and act in a sensible manner.
--- In Sydney_TaxiCorruption@yahoogroups.com, "mamubhi" wrote:Re: melbourne Australia taxi strike
--- In ozcabs@yahoogroups.com, "Ross Nelson" wrote:
GOOD ON THE MELBOURNE TAXI DRIVER PROTESTERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!I would suggest caution re demanding that safety screens be mandated.
Sydney had screens mandated at the behest of the TWU.WE HATED THEM!!!90% of job satisfaction was blotted out.
Shouting to communicate with passengers is highly stressful. Vision is impaired . also stressful.The third to last Taxi Driver to be slain in Sydney (Saptul Singh Suri) had a screen in his cab.I believe that screens should be available for those that want them.
This could be a market based thing. If a base with 20 cabs has 10 with screens that are preferred over the non-screen cabs they will put more screens in.The taxi management that Peer calls 'mafia' made a lot of money out of installing screens in Sydney.
--- In ozcabs@yahoogroups.com, "Jimmy" wrote:
Spot on brother, exactly the same situation when in the post war years Australia imported the Migrant Factory Fodder. The difference being that those wogs had the balls to unionise and organise and the present taxi industry wogs ain't got the balls for jack all..........maybe with a handfull of exceptions. Well Victoria is taking the initiative when is NSW going to follow on......?.......or are they all too busy fighting amongst themselves and still trying to decide which TDA is going their way.
Sadly when you have a lacky of the Taxi Council for president in the NSWTDA and a secretary that is also that way inclined, is it any wonder that strike action is a no no?
A........ licking is the order of the day. Remember the NSW Taxi Council does not give a damn about bailee drivers. The expendible fodder sufficently manned by wogs who is going to worry?
Also consider who runs the NSW Taxi Council but a bunch of flea ridden geriatric Kangaroos.
An excellent point you made Taxifixer.
Remember Bob Woodger, he was an Aussie, and what support was there for his unfortunate demise?
Youbert Hormozi had an excellent turn out. I know I was at both of them.
For Woodger even a half an hour demo at parliament house was too much to ask for.
Yes I am a wog too and bloody well proud of it. But I am ashamed of the apathy of my collegue wogs.
--- In Sydney_TaxiCorruption@yahoogroups.com, "union_faruque" wrote:Re: melbourne Australia taxi strike
I am afraid the Minister of Transport and the Transport Workers Union mob may misguide or even sabotage this lawful demand of taxi drivers. Providing a safe work place regardless of the so
called relationship i.e. bailor/bailee is the fundamental right of any worker.
Here is a blatant example of profit overtaking civil rights, human rights and industrial rights of workers under the Victorian Labor Government.
I won't be surprised of any idiotic or racist remark from the `chardonnay revolutionaries' of the ozcabs forum. First of all their silence says, they may have isolated from the real taxi drivers' community or the drivers in general do not trust them in the first place. Anyway, their beloved Channel Nine made them proud tonight!
--- In Sydney_TaxiCorruption@yahoogroups.com, "taxifixer" wrote:
April 30, 2008
Hundreds of Melbourne taxi drivers have blocked a major city intersection demanding better safety after one of their own was critically injured in a stabbing.
Organisers say the protest will remain in place all night despite the arrest of a man this evening in connection with the stabbing.
An unidentified 23-year-old taxi driver, a student from India, was stabbed andcritically injured by a passenger in inner suburban Clifton Hill about 3am, police said.
By late today, more than 1,000 people - almost exclusively from the Indian sub-continent and the Middle East- braved temperatures down to single digits for the sit-inat the corner of Flinders and Swanston streets, in the heart of Melbourne.
Unknown to the crowd, a 45-year-old man was arrested at his Alphington home about 7.30pm, police said.
Parish Charles has been charged with attempted murder by Yarra detectives, police said.
He appeared before an out-of-sessions court hearing and was remanded in custody to appear at the Melbourne Magistrates' Court tomorrow.
Protesters began gathering at the intersection about 6pm, with word of the protest spreading via mobile phones.
Empty taxis and abandoned trams choked Swanston Street, one of Melbourne's busiest tram routes, as the protesters gathered in the shadow of Flinders Street station, watched by scores of police.
Cabs, many double-parked, lay idle for blocks as the peaceful but sometimes rowdy protest gathered strength.
The protesters demanded improved safety, including the introduction of protective screens for drivers.
One of the organisers, Indian-born taxi driver Jazz Randyboy, said cabbies wanted action.
"We get sick of complaining to the Victoria Police about our security. One of our friends was stabbed seven times and the cops are doing nothing. They say they can't get him," Mr Randyboy said.
"This is about getting our security, getting our rights back."
The Victorian government must guarantee driver safety by introducing protective screens, he said.
Many drivers believed police would put more effort into investigating an attack on a white driver, he said.
"There is too much racism in the Victoria Police. One police officer said to me that I am black and we bring all these problems into the country," he said.
"We think Australia is one of the best countries but after these experiences we think it's one of the worst. This is the most racist country in the world," he said.
Protesters will hold their ground overnight, Mr Randyboy said.
"It's going right through to tomorrow morning. They are not going home or do anything else. They will sit here until the government or someone talks to us."
One of the protesters told the crowd: "We will be sitting here as long as it is required. We just want justice".
Another yelled: "We're not going home. We're not going to take this shit anymore."
Victorian Public Transport Minister Lynne Kosky said earlier today protective screens were being trialled and could soon be introduced in taxis for drivers who wanted them.
Late this evening, ABC Online reported that Ms Kosky would meet with taxi industry representatives tomorrow.AAP
