China to reward striking drivers, punish officials

Published on November 17, 2008 by admin

BEIJING: Taxi drivers in a small tourist town in south China have forced Communist authorities to actually reward strikers. In a rare
development, the government has decided to suspend three senior officials and accept the demand of striking taxi drivers.

The twin decisions to accept the demand of strikers and punish officials came after the police had cracked down on a section of taxi drivers and arrested several of them on the charge of indulging in violence. Officials also accused striking taxi men of smashing dozens of taxis owned by their employers as a mark of protest.

The local government’s decision reflects the changing attitude of Communist Party leaders, who are not more open to the idea of protest as compared to the past when any form of strike was crushed with brute police might. The government is facing unrest among taxi drivers in other tourist cities like Chongqing and Yongdeng.

The taxi drivers in the popular tourist city of Sanya in Hainan Province were on strike for five days protesting against non-implementation of a government decision to reduce the amount they pay as rent to taxi owners.

The local government the reduced the burden of rent paid by the drivers from 7,200 yuan ($1,054) a month to an average 5,300 yuan from January 1. But the new rule was not implemented by transport officials allegedly because they were bribed by the six taxi owning companies.

Those officials punished held important posts. They included Chen Zhibang, director of the city’s transport bureau, Li Mingde, secretary of the bureau’s Party committee, and Yi Zhijun, a deputy bureau director.

“The three officials have serious dereliction of duty,” a spokesman of the city government said. Taxi companies who overcharged fees from drivers have been ordered to return the sums in two days.

With the government implementing the rule, the striking taxi drivers returned to work on Friday.
Moreover, about 20 drivers loyal to taxi companies, who attacked striking taxi drivers, are in jail.

Jiang Zelin, secretary of the Communist party’s local committee went to the extent of holding a meeting with 2,000 taxi drivers and promising them to protect their interests.

At the same time, Jiang said the government would launch a crackdown on unlicensed cabs and eradicate all forms of illegal taxi services across the city, which was another reason for the strike.

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