INdustry and Employment Correspondent Chris Dooley examines the issues behind the latest unrest.
Dublin commuters may have to become accustomed to the severe disruption caused to city traffic by yesterday's taxi drivers' protest. While much of the focus to date has been on potential disruption to the Ryder Cup golf event later this month, some drivers are already contemplating a campaign that is likely to run up to Christmas and beyond.
The drivers' unions are determined to force taxi regulator Ger Deering to negotiate on sweeping industry reforms due to come into effect on September 25th.
The biggest change being imposed by Mr Deering is the introduction of a single taxi fare to apply across the State. At present, fares are set by local authorities, and a review carried out by Mr Deering uncovered huge variance in charges around the State. He found that the cost of a 1km journey varied from €2.92 in Tipperary town to €6 in Ennis, while the national average was €4.51.
Not surprisingly, perhaps, Mr Deering concluded that fares were too high in some areas, while in others the basic hiring charge was too low to make short journeys viable for drivers.
His new fare structure will see the introduction of a €3.80 minimum charge, rising to €4.10 at premium times, followed by distance or time-related charges. The premium rate will apply between 8pm and 8am daily, as well as on Sundays and bank holidays.
The National Taxi Drivers' Union claims that members in Cork, Tralee, Killarney, Sligo, Waterford, Carlow and Drogheda will face a cut of up to 22 per cent in their minimum charge as a result of the change.
Drivers in Dublin will benefit slightly from the new national fare, but will lose out through other changes such as Mr Deering's decision to remove the €1.50 hiring charge for picking up passengers at Dublin airport.
Other extra charges such as the 50 cent per item luggage charge, which can be applied to a maximum of two items, are also to be abolished.
The National Taxi Drivers' Union, one of three unions which supported yesterday's protest, claims the removal of the airport charge will cost some 2,000 drivers €4,500 each per year in lost income.
John Ussher, president of the Irish Taxi Drivers' Federation, another of the unions involved, says another major grievance is Mr Deering's decision to introduce a new national system for numbering taxi plates. Drivers will be issued with photo IDs and will, as at present, be licensed to provide a service in their own local authority area only.
The problem, claims Mr Ussher, is that there will be no way of telling, from observing their cars, whether drivers are operating within their area or not. "You could have a situation where, during events like the Rose of Tralee or the Cork Jazz Festival, drivers could come in from anywhere and take work from local guys. There is an awful lot of concern about that."
But the drivers' biggest gripe of all, according to Siptu official Jerry Brennan, is Mr Deering's refusal to sit down and negotiate.
Taxi drivers, as self-employed business people, have no recourse to third-party institutions such as the Labour Court, he points out. They therefore have "no choice" but to take their campaign to the streets.