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Work stoppages and protests by cab drivers across China could be a sign of things to come when Beijing expands domestic infrastructure development.

China has seen several strikes by taxi drivers in November, most recently in Shantou City, Guangdong province, where some 1,000 licensed cabbies protested competition from unlicensed drivers. The incident follows a series of strikes by cab drivers across the country, some of which turned violent.

In early November, several thousand taxi drivers held a two-day strike in Chongqing over the availability of compressed natural gas, unequal sharing of profits between cab companies and drivers, competition from illegal cab drivers and perceived excessive fines for traffic violations. The Chongqing strike was followed by strikes in Sanya, Hainan province, and Yongdeng, Gansu province, both in part over competition from unlicensed drivers. Another taxi strike broke out in the Yongchuan district of Chongqing on Nov. 18 when the government announced plans to increase the number of cabs by a third, thereby reducing fares for existing drivers.

The strikes themselves can be readily explained by the tightening economic situation in China, where unemployment is rising and operating a cab without a license is a readily available option for the unemployed. Even in cities where protests are not occurring, local cab-driver associations have expressed concerns to municipal officials about the rising competition from unlicensed drivers.