Nov 20, 2009
Taxi drivers on strike in China
BEIJING - HUNDREDS of taxi drivers in south-eastern China went on strike in a protest against government plans to regulate the industry, with people throwing stones at cars, state media said on Friday. More than 200 cabs in Fujian province's Putian city had stopped work since Wednesday and protesters had blocked passing taxis that were still in business, demanding the drivers join them, the official Xinhua news agency reported. If they refused, the protesters threw stones at their cars, the report said. The strike erupted over a disagreement between some cab drivers and the government over a newly-released plan to regulate the industry. The city has set up a team that includes police and transport officials to put an end to the strike, according to the report. Taxi drivers have emerged as a vocal force in Chinese labour disputes over the past year, sometimes turning violent over issues that have triggered their anger. In April, a massive taxi strike in a central Chinese city developed into a riot, with drivers beaten and cars smashed, and in November last year China experienced two violent cab work stoppages in one week. -- AFP
Taxi drivers on strike in China
BEIJING - HUNDREDS of taxi drivers in south-eastern China went on strike in a protest against government plans to regulate the industry, with people throwing stones at cars, state media said on Friday. More than 200 cabs in Fujian province's Putian city had stopped work since Wednesday and protesters had blocked passing taxis that were still in business, demanding the drivers join them, the official Xinhua news agency reported. If they refused, the protesters threw stones at their cars, the report said. The strike erupted over a disagreement between some cab drivers and the government over a newly-released plan to regulate the industry. The city has set up a team that includes police and transport officials to put an end to the strike, according to the report. Taxi drivers have emerged as a vocal force in Chinese labour disputes over the past year, sometimes turning violent over issues that have triggered their anger. In April, a massive taxi strike in a central Chinese city developed into a riot, with drivers beaten and cars smashed, and in November last year China experienced two violent cab work stoppages in one week. -- AFP
