Eastleigh latest council to agree to GMB private hire livery campaign

Thanks to GMB, private hire drivers in Eastleigh will now no longer be restricted to work for one provider, nor need to have company signage on their own personal vehicles, says union 

GMB, the union for private hire drivers, is celebrating another victory in its campaign to remove livery on private hire vehicles, this time in Eastleigh.  

Following a campaign by GMB representatives, the borough council has announced that private hire vehicles are no longer required to carry the insignia of individual employers, only a council sign with plate number.  

This decision is the latest GMB success, following similar campaigns in Southampton, Oldham and Manchester [1].  

Ali Haydor, GMB Lead Private Hire Representative said:  

“GMB welcomes the news that Eastleigh Borough Council are the latest local authority to agree to remove mandatory operator signage on private hire vehicles.  

“We have been campaigning so vehemently on this issue as these restrictive working practices are unfair for any worker, particularly those in so called ‘gig-economy’ jobs.  

“Private hire drivers should be free to represent more than one taxi firm and should not be forced to provide free advertising for their employer on their own cars.  

“This GMB campaign is spreading and we will not rest until this ruling is mirrored across every local authority in the country.”