Strike and violence by cabbies ends in a deal

Source: Xinhua  |   2008-11-6  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

AUTHORITIES in China's fourth largest city yesterday announced that 9,000 urban cab drivers had returned to work after a two-day strike that was marred by outbreaks of violence.

Chongqing municipal police bureau deputy director Gao Xiaodong said police patrols had been stepped up to keep public order after they arrested an unspecified number of cab drivers in connection with attacks that left 103 taxis damaged.

The streets of downtown Chongqing appeared to be back to normal yesterday morning, with taxis cruising for fares on busy streets.

One driver said that his company manager had sent text messages to the drivers, to "put on the roof sign and do business as usual."

Almost 4,000 drivers had returned to work by Tuesday afternoon after the municipal government moved to address their grievances.

Drivers in the main urban areas of the city stopped work on Monday morning to protest issues, including insufficient supplies of compressed natural gas, which fuels most cabs in the city, competition from unlicensed cabs, high fines for traffic violations and the unfair division of fares between drivers and companies. Drivers said they had to wait for one to three hours to refill their CNG tanks at a limited number of fuel stations.

The strike became violent as some strikers stopped working cabs and pulled the drivers from their cars. At least three police cars were also smashed in the violence.

The city government has promised to reduce the fees that drivers pay to their companies, increase CNG supplies and step up efforts to crack down on unlicensed cabs.

Cab companies also promised to pay for losses incurred during the strike.