By SC Cook. Photo: Taxi drivers listen to speakers at the rally, Tom Davies
Hundreds of taxi drivers protested in central Cardiff today with their union, Unite, against soaring poverty, a growing mental health crisis in the trade and lack of financial support from Welsh Government.
Since the initial lockdown in March, taxi drivers say their income has fallen by around 80 -90% and some are now earning as little as £14 per day.
They are angry that they have been overlooked and ignored when it comes to state support and say they are ready to protest to put pressure on the government.
As well as rising poverty, many drivers are also struggling with increased anxiety and depression as a result, with some even needing to be referred to suicide prevention services by their union rep.
Unite is currently in negotiations with Welsh Government and Economy Minister Ken Skates over an emergency bailout, but these are ongoing and have not reached an agreement.
Drivers say they are a forgotten trade and whilst the issue has been going on for months, today it escalated with the first protest of the dispute. Organisers were overwhelmed with the turnout and have said that they will call another protest in two weeks time if no progress has been made with Welsh Government.
One taxi driver, Tariq, who spoke to me said: “like everybody else we’ve suffered, our families have suffered but we’ve had absolutely no financial help whatsoever.”
“We have been forced to make ourselves known, we are part of this city, we need help, this is running right through the heart of our families.”
Mark and Darren, pictured below, had come along and were standing back from the crowd. “Drakeford needs to put his hand in his pocket,” Mark told me. “We can’t go on like this.
They said that a number of factors had combined to create a perfect storm for drivers, including a reduction in nightlife, train travel and office working. At the same time, they have been one of the most at risk groups of workers when it comes to contracting the virus.
At the protest, cabbies blockaded the roads surrounding the Cathays park offices of Welsh government, continuously honking their horns to make their presence known, whilst others lined the pavement holding placards, clapping and cheering.
The mood was one of anger, militancy and class solidarity. Drivers consistently spoke not just of their own situation but the crisis facing them all, and they clearly saw the need for collective action. The noise was at times deafening.
One driver, Aleem, hung his head out of his car on the way past, raised his fist and shouted angrily about only earning £25 a day. He was cheered by fellow drivers as he went past.
After the huge convoy had snaked its way around, people gathered on the steps of a nearby university building for a rally.
There, Unite Wales Secretary Peter Hughes addressed the crowd and to loud applause and shouts said that now was the time to fight and promised further demonstrations if no action was taken by Ken Skates.
The secretary of the Unite taxi branch, Yusef Jama, pictured, below was cheered by his fellow drivers as he took to the steps. He urged everyone to join the union and stay united, pledging more action in future.
“These numbers are big,” he said. “But we can make them bigger next time.”
At one point a man shouted that he had two daughters in university. “They cannot live on £25 a day,” he said.
Speaking after the protest, Wales TUC General Secretary Shavanah Taj said that Welsh Government didn’t seem to understand the severity of the issues faced by workers.
“The trade has been completely forgotten about…the majority of the drivers are from a black or minority ethic background, many are older workers,” she said. “They are extremely vulnerable…This does go down to long seated issues of structural racism that do exist here in Wales.”
Shavanah Taj said she had heard from several women during the dispute who had partners in the trade, explaining how they are the sole earner in the family. “If they don’t work, there’s no food on the table, they can’t pay the bills and they can’t keep up with everyday life.
In one case she had heard of people working 17 hours in a day, barely earning more than £1 an hour.
“We have flags in the city that talk about the living wage and how proud we are of it. [But] these people are not even earning the minimum wage!”
Pictures by Tom Davies & SC Cook
