Independent Union of Approved Driving Instructors - Union saves member over Ł7000

	Union saves member £7000
	A member of the Union approached our Secretary and asked for help with a contract he had signed with a large driving school. Our member suffers from polio so his employment options are very limited The only way he could obtain the training to qualify was to sign a four year contract. He paid Ł2,000 for his training and then after training he paid a further Ł46 a week 'franchise' fee. He received less than a dozen pupils in his first YEAR and when he approached the company concerned they informed him that he could be released from the contract under THEIR clause 7.1 which involved him writing and sending his ADI licence back to Nottingham. Failure to do this would result in them pressing for the completion of the contract, which was Ł7,176 Immediately the Union stepped in and backed our member with many letters and faxes to the company in question. The company were informed that the Union would represent the member in person in court, that a witness would be brought, who was a Union member who had had a similar problem with the SAME school in another part of the country, and that we would also issue a counterclaim for the advertising that our member had spent which the company had said would be paid-back but they failed to do so. Finally, the company sent our member a legal notice that should payment not be made in FULL within SEVEN DAYS they would take legal action. That was on the 4th March 1999. The Union replied the next day, by both fax and Recorded Delivery, to say that we shall continue with the backing. Neither the Union member nor the Union's secretary received anything from the company in question WE then gave the company a 'second' chance and informed them that unless the case was laid before a court within 28 days (18th May) we would consider the matter closed. We also sent the company two reminders on the Friday and the Monday prior to this date reminding them to lay the case. This was 2 1/2 months AFTER they had tried to frighten our member with SEVEN DAYS notice. The company in question failed to respond to any communication and have not laid any case in a court. This just goes to show that when an individual receives backing he suddenly becomes very strong. So he saved himself over SEVEN THOUSAND POUNDS for just Ł10 We think you'll agree that the Union gave him excellent backing. This goes to show that the Union has the teeth and are not frightened to use them when necessary.