A meeting to discuss taxi fare restructuring is to be held later this week between Dublin Corporation officials and SIPTU-represented taxi-drivers.
The union has accused Dublin Corporation of "manipulating" the existing fare structure, despite theirattempts to have a "realistic" fare increase introduced.
"SIPTU accepted the necessity for more taxis, and this has to be counterbalanced with a quality service and quality standards for the benefit of the drivers and the public", Mr Des Geraghty, the General President of SIPTU said.
"Dublin Corporation put forward what appears to be an increase, but is in fact a manipulation of the existing fare structure," claimed Mr Gerry Brennan, the SIPTU taxi-drivers’ representative.
"In the sixteen years since 1985 taxi drivers received an increase in the mileage rate of only 15p - which is less than 1 penny per year", he said.
"Without a fare increase, drivers have been forced to work longer hours to absorb rising costs, which is in direct breach of the spirit of social partnership and health and safety legislation and means working well in excess of a 48 hour working week," he added.
Meanwhile in Waterford, organisations representing the city's taxi drivers today called on the Corporation to immediately cease issuing taxi plates.
According to the drivers existing ranks cannot cope with the amount of taxis in the city because proper facilities, such as parking, have not been put in place.
The number of taxis in the the city has increased from 39 to over 100 since deregulation.
The Corporation said that it will meet the drivers soon.