Dali bus strike resolved, drivers won't get shafted
Sunday, 23rd November 2008Chris ~ Link ~ Comments (0)
Around 500 bus drivers who operated routes connecting Xiaguan with remote counties throughout the prefecture went on strike last Tuesday to protest a document that had been distributed to them by Dali Transport Company (Group), their employer. According to China Daily:
Local bus drivers joined the company with their own vehicles. However, the company document said that the ownership of the buses would be transferred to the company, which bus drivers said would jeopardize their interests.
The strike left many residents of and visitors to Dali without bus service, but "no one… overreacted", according to a spokesperson from the Dali government, which negotiated a settlement between the drivers and the company.
The Dali dispute comes one month after bus drivers in Jinghong reacted violently to the local government's decision to break the local monopoly on bus tours in Xishuangbanna, which led to several Chinese travel agencies suspending tour services to the area.
Related article: Xishuanbanna tours suspended due to bus driver attacks
Xishuangbanna tours suspended due to bus driver attacks
Tuesday, 21st October 2008Chris ~ Link ~ Comments (0)
Some tour bus drivers have turned violent in response to the government's decision to break the monopoly held by local tour bus operators over Xishuangbanna prefecture. Shanghai Daily reports:
On October 12, more than 50 enraged drivers attacked two buses from Kunming, capital of Yunnan Province, when they arrived at local parks, abusing the drivers and hitting the buses with sticks. With the buses severely damaged, the 65 tourists aboard had to take locally operated coaches to return home. Police apprehended some of the attackers.
The next day a bus packed with Thailand tourists was attacked in a primeval forest park...
The next day a bus packed with Thailand tourists was attacked in a primeval forest park...
Last Friday local bus drivers reportedly staged a sit-in protest in front of government offices in Jinghong, the prefecture's capital.
Some tour operators in Shanghai such as Spring International Travel service and Jinjiang International Travel have suspended tour group services, while government owned China Youth Travel Service says the attacks were "isolated" and that it will continue to send tourists to Xishuangbanna.
Approximately one hour later at 8:05, another bus exploded at the intersection of Renmin Xi Lu and Changyuan Lu, reportedly killing one passenger and injuring four.
As of 11:30 am, no official announcements regarding the explosions have been made by the Kunming police or municipal government.
According to reports, eyewitnesses at the Panjiawan incident described an extremely loud explosion and all the windows of the bus shattering, covering the street with glass.
A special task force comprised of provincial and municipal officials has been organized and dispatched to the scenes of the explosions and an investigation is underway.
A BBS on local internet portal clzg.cn has posted some photos of scenes from after the Panjiawan explosion.
Update: Reuters is reporting a third explosion in the vicinity of Minshan, and both Reuters and Al-Jazeera seem to be suggesting a possible connection between today's blasts and a violent clash between farmers and police at a rubber plant in southern Yunnan's Menglian (孟连) on Saturday in which two farmers were killed and 54 people – including 41 police – were injured.
Video of the Panjiawan blast's wreckage has been posted by the website ChinaNews.com.
Shanghai Daily is reporting that the Kunming municipal government will hold a press conference about the blasts this afternoon, citing a CCTV report.
Update 3: Sources at Kunming Wujiaba International Airport have told GoKunming that at least one flight has been delayed due to weather-related reasons, despite no apparent inclement weather.
Top image: Yunnan.cn
