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From Shanghaiist:

Cabbies from one of the smaller taxi companies in Shanghai went on strike yesterday over their pensions, which they claim aren't being adequately paid for by their company. From Global Times:

All of the striking drivers work for the Shanghai Fuxin Taxi Company, which owns 70 taxis in the city. Drivers said that the company did not pay their share of the worker's pensions, amounting to about 1,100 yuan ($171) per month, for up to four and a half years.

According to Chinese labor law, employers are required to contribute at least 22 percent of an employee's monthly salary to a mandatory pension fund, while employees have to pay 8 percent.

The striking drivers gathered near Loushanguan Road in Changning at 8 am, with some driving the wrong way on the one-way street while chanting: "We want our pension back." Their antics disrupted traffic.

The strike coincides with a much larger one happening in Hangzhou over fuel prices and rental costs, but is apparently unrelated.

The drivers went on strike in front of Fuxin locations around the city from 9am to 3pm on Monday. Negotiations with Fuxin started at 3pm, and Shanghai traffic authorities say a solution was reached, which will be announced tomorrow.

While you may be wondering why taxis are complaining less than a month after a 2RMB rate hike, it should be noted that government subsidies are being cut from 1,750RMB to 750RMB and could offset any gains from the higher meter rates. One cab driver estimates he'll be earning 400-500RMB less than before the rate hike.

Many will probably recognize the maroon cabs of Fuxin Taxi Co as "the sketchy cabs" one is instructed to avoid as a new arrival in Shanghai. Maybe if they weren't facing years of thankless work followed by years of scraping by after retirement, they'd be less prone to rip you off.

From CLB:

网友爆料称，上海复新出租车公司多位司机集体停运。《每日经济新闻》记者获悉，劳动监察部门已介入调查。

就在昨日，上海出租车已全部执行上涨之后的价格标准，出租车司机普遍表示，运价调整之后生存状况几无改善。部分司机表示，调价之后生意受挫，每天毛收入并未提高，而油价补贴也将锐减，反而感到更辛苦。

业内专家认为，出租车行业发展的瓶颈已凸显，如果不能及时解决出租车司机盈利空间的问题，行业将受到重大打击。

司机停运 劳动部门介入

昨日中午，网友buxtehude微博爆料：“今天上午，复新出租车公司的多位司机，为养老金问题，占据仙霞路附近整条直行车道。”

《每日经济新闻》记者第一时间致电上海复新出租汽车公司（以下简称复新出租），该公司一位陆姓工作人员表示，劳动保障部门已介入，就司机提出的相关问题进行协商处理。

昨天傍晚，记者再次致电复新出租，陆先生回复称：“劳动调查部门已经调查离开，养老金什么的我们并非没交，我们公司该做的事情已经都做了。”

但陆先生对于该公司出租车司机上午为何停运一事，依然没能给出相应解释。

随后，记者从上海市长宁区人力资源与社会保障局了解到，目前现场已经平息，初步调查该出租车公司交纳了社会保险费。但工作人员也表示，具体结果还没有出来，有待进一步调查，且需要上海市交通部门方面出具意见。

运价上调 司机称“更辛苦”

昨天是上海出租车调价首日。《每日经济新闻》从上海市交港局运管处以及大众、海博等出租车公司了解到，新的计价器都已全部更换完毕，8月1日执行新的起步价，即上海市区出租车起步费用由12元调整为14元，区域性出租汽车由10元调整为12元（其中各含燃油附加费1元）。

但记者从上海市多位出租车司机处了解到，他们的生存状况并未得到改善，部分司机表示，调价之后生意受挫，每天毛收入并未提高，而油价补贴也将锐减，反而感到更为辛苦。

中投顾问高级研究员李宇恒接受《每日经济新闻》采访时表示，“类似出租车停运事件直接反映出出租车行业发展的瓶颈已经凸显，如果不能及时解决出租车司机盈利空间的问题，那么行业将受到重大打击。”

同时，李宇恒也表示，将运营成本单纯转向消费者和出租车司机有两方面结果，一方面，运营提价造成消费者短期大幅流失，司机营运收入大幅降低，反而不利于保护司机收入水平，直接打击行业经营热情；另一方面，政府虽然减轻了财政负担，却由于影响到整个出租车行业的正常发展，反而减少税收总量。

李宇恒指出，政府部门调价的目的是为了促使出租车行业健康发展，但是从目前的情况来看，出租车司机似乎并不能从中获得更大的利润空间。所以政府需要在此时发挥相应的行政调节作用。要保证上海出租车行业健康有效发展，一方面政府要解决短期内出租车司机收入锐减问题，可以通过短期调节份子钱来获得行业缓冲期；另一方面，需要促使消费者、经营者、出租车公司共同承担成本压力。