Disgruntled cab drivers want chairman gone

By SCOTT McLEOD Transport reporter

Trouble is brewing in New Zealand's biggest taxi firm as a group of disgruntled Auckland Co-operative Taxi drivers try to remove their elected chairman.

Since the election last July, some of the more than 500 driver-shareholders have become increasingly angry at what they say is an arrogant management style.

In the past two months an estimated 180 drivers have signed petitions calling for a vote of no confidence in chairman Robert van Heiningen and deputy chairman Brian Lough.

But managers rejected the petitions, saying they did not follow the correct procedures, and yesterday called the two men who organised them, Terry Carter and Kevin Kumar, into disciplinary meetings.

Sixty drivers gathered outside Co-op's office in central Auckland to back the pair, who they said were being victimised.

But Mr van Heiningen said the men were facing "file reviews" that had nothing to do with the petitions, and were based on complaints about their behaviour.

A spokesman for the dissenters, Bill Woodman, said people who had signed the petition were being intimidated and told they would lose plum assignments unless they relented.

He said the two drivers being disciplined risked losing their jobs for "bringing the society into disrepute" - even though the public did not know about the petitions they organised.

Other drivers complained to the Herald about three changes of uniform which cost them up to $400 each time, of being forced to pay fines of up to $1000 for misdemeanours, of having to pay $500 each month in fees and levies, and of having little or no say in how their firm was being run.

Mr Woodman said: "This is our strongest movement so far - we're determined to have our meeting, we're determined to get rid of him [Mr van Heiningen]."

The drivers also said that managers had set up 27 companies in the past year with their money but were giving shareholders little say in how they were being run.

Companies Office records show Mr van Heiningen and Mr Lough are joint directors of 18 firms, mostly taxi-related.

Mr Woodman conceded there was nothing wrong with them directing those firms, which were mostly under the Co-op banner, but said drivers wanted more consultation.

Mr van Heiningen said the latest petition did follow the correct procedure, and a meeting would be held within 40 days which would let drivers air their grievances.

He could give few details of the alleged complaints against the two drivers because he was not involved in the file review. The complaints could have been from the public or from other drivers.

Mr van Heiningen said he had been elected three times by Co-op drivers, and last July received nearly 200 votes more than the next most-popular candidate. The dissenters were just a small minority.

"[Co-op] has an excellent reputation," he said.

"We're one of only five taxi firms with access to the airport, we were voted Auckland's best by Metro magazine and we were official suppliers to the America's Cup. I think we've done very well."

Mr Lough could not be reached because of an illness in his family.

The drivers' disciplinary hearings were adjourned until Monday.