Govt drive aims for fair play on taxis

BEIJING - The government plans to improve labor relations within the taxi industry in a move to better protect drivers' rights and reduce the chance of strikes.

Aiming to introduce collective talks between taxi drivers and employers, the transport and labor ministries, together with the major trade union organization, have announced a two-year campaign starting next month.

"More than half of the disputes in the taxi industry in recent years were related to poor labor relations, unreasonable contract fees (that drivers pay employers) and insufficient protection of drivers' rights," said Deputy Minister of Transport Feng Zhenglin at a work conference on Monday.