Tuesday 7 June 2011

Southampton Sinks Further Beneath The Waves…

The cost of industrial action at Southampton City Council is mounting as workers ditch their own cars for taxis.
Wha…?
The industrial action is landing the Tory-run council with a growing taxi bill of tens of thousands of pounds as staff refuse to use their own cars in protest at mileage rates being cut from up to 54p to the 45p rate.
And so, they are forcing the council to….hire taxis for them.

Yes, you heard that right:
A council insider said that up to 80 taxis a day were being hired by social workers to make their rounds, in a bonanza for local taxi firms.

One round trip to Lee-on-the-Solent is said to have cost £140. A city centre cabbie claimed that he had never made so much money in his life.
*sigh*
Southampton City Council’s finance boss, Councillor John Hannides, said managers were making sure that the most “cost effective” public transport was being used by staff refusing to use their own cars, adding: “There is unlikely to be a blank cheque.
Oh, really?
Talks aimed at resolving the dispute through the mediation service ACAS are planned for later this month, although unions have accused the council of stalling and say that they are prepared to meet any time.
There’s no hurry, folks, it’s just other people’s money, right?

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hope HMRC are taking an interest and the mileage rates are being declared on the P11Ds.

54p is well above the HMRC allowed rate of 45p.

AntiCitizenOne said...

Has Southampton not heard of hire cars?

Bucko said...

They are moaning about 45p? The greedy robbing bastards!.
And the council are paying for these taxis? If I lived in Southampton my council tax would stop.

Anonymous said...

Presumably the staff will not need carparking spaces now?

Anonymous said...

As a Community Nurse working for the NHS we get 28-40p per mile. The rate has not been increased for years. I have to use my car to get to and from patients over a huge area. If my car breaks down or needs work done on it i would have to hire a car at my own expence in order to carry out my duties. I do not have a car parking permit for my base and have to park where I am able in order to stock my car and attend meetings. The Southampton staff should consider themeselves fortunate that even with reduced rate they still gte more than we do. Waht's the old joke "Save a life. Kill a social worker"

patently said...

Oh, are the poor dears having to cope with the mileage rates that HMRC decrees are reasonable enough for us mere mortals in the private sector?

Diddums.

JuliaM said...

"Hope HMRC are taking an interest.."

I bet they are now!

"Has Southampton not heard of hire cars?"

I'd be surprised if that wouldn't work out cheaper in the long ruin.

"Presumably the staff will not need carparking spaces now?"

:D

"Waht's the old joke "Save a life. Kill a social worker""

I think it was Alexi Sayle's 'Save a London child, kill a social worker'... ;)

"Oh, are the poor dears having to cope with the mileage rates that HMRC decrees are reasonable enough for us mere mortals in the private sector?"

Yes, indeed. Welcome to the real world, public sector workers! Bwahahaha!

Mjolinir said...

AIUI, these & similar 'reductions' or limitations are in response to HMRC already taking an interest - and tightening up on what is 'necessary' and someone claiming a LOT of miles may find themselves paying Income Tax for 'benefit in kind' if the total is deemed be subsidising non-business use.

Same thing can apply to 'fixed rate allowances' for meals &c. (And a 'team' of workers may have to buy their burgers individually to avoid the 'leader' getting taxed)

mj said...

Re my last - I often 'volunteer' at large sporting events. For those reasons, we no longer get a £10 food voucher to spend as we wish, but are served a sit-down meal supplied by Organisers.

Usually V good as it comes from their Corporate Hospitality kitchens...

Dr Evil said...

54p is excessive. 45p is the AA recommendation as I understand it. If these people have it in their contracts that they will use their own cars and be paid expenses for it then if they break their contracts they should be fired. Providing taxis is a nonsense!