Bus drivers end strike in SW China city

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-06-10 21:44

BAZHONG - Public transport services fully resumed Wednesday afternoon in a southwestern Chinese city after bus drivers ended strike.

The drivers in the downtown area of Bazhong, Sichuan Province, went on strike Wednesday morning to draw attention to low pay, long hours and safety concerns.

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Li Shike, deputy director of the municipal planning and construction bureau, confirmed that the public transport has fully resumed in the city in northeast Sichuan.

All 100 buses with the city's only bus company, Bazhong Bashan Public Transport Company, did not run at 6:40 am as usual, said Yu Zhixiang, deputy general manager of the company.

"Earlier there were no signs of strike," said Yu.

People were left standing at bus stops and many ended up walking to work or school or taking taxis as drivers refused to operate buses in the morning.

About 30 buses resumed services at 7:30 am after consultations between drivers and local officials.

The municipal government gathered and met with drivers at a school from 9:00 am to 11:30 am, said Yue Wei, Bazhong City publicity department.

All the other drivers returned to work after the authorities agreed to hear their demands and set up a more reasonable salary system after inspections to neighboring cities.

"We returned to work after government coordination. The government promised to give us a satisfactory reply before June 20," said a driver, surnamed Li.

Drivers said they wanted reduced hours and higher pay. They work about 13 hours a day, at least 20 days a month, and earn 1,500 yuan to 1,800 yuan (US$219 to 263) a month.

"On working days, I get up at 5 am and only go to bed at 10 p.m.. But I don't get any overtime compensation," said a driver, who only gave his surname Han.

"In general, the drivers work longer than stipulated in the labor law," Yu admitted. "But in such industry, you can not work only eight hours a day."

The drivers also demanded a full-scale safety inspection of their buses after a fatal blaze on June 5 killed 27 and injured 76 on a bus in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan.

The downtown area of Bazhong, 400 kilometers away from Chengdu, has a population of 200,000.