Members of the Auckland Taxi Association are on a hunger strike starting Monday after their talk with the airport company failed. Around 180 taxi drivers at the Auckland International Airport are demanding better working conditions and taxi-rank positions among other issues.

The disgruntled ATA drivers assembled outside the airport's corporate office to push their cause, saying their hunger strike would continue until their demands are met.

ATA is composed of taxi drivers from five smaller companies - Goldline Taxis, President Taxis, VIP Cabs, Silver Cabs, and Auckland Black Cabs. The members have been insisting on several concerns that are apparently hindering them from earning decent profit.

They want to relocate premium taxi rank away from the arrivals hall, raise the minimum fare from $20 to $35, and discourage discriminatory and racist behaviour from the security contractors of the airport.

Representatives of the ATA and the airport have met in November to negotiate terms. According to the airport, the ATA reps walked out of negotiations when the airport did not agree on relocating the tax ranks at the international terminal used by ATA rivals Green Cabs and Auckland Co-Op taxis.

Spokesman Richard Barker accused ATA of trying to reduce the competition by demanding that the rival taxi rank be moved from the international arrivals hall.

"That is the core issue for them. They have promised all of the problems will go away if the dedicated taxi rank goes back to its old, hidden space," Mr Barker told the Fairfax NZ News.

Another concern that the ATA wants resolved is the increase of the minimum fare from $20 to $35, but the airport would not allow them to do so. ATA spokesman Manmohan Singh claims that other taxi associations are already charging the proposed $35 minimum fee, which is denied by the airport.

"Main-rank drivers are surviving on as little as $4 an hour," Mr Singh said, adding that their drivers are also being discriminated. "The airport company is lying and putting out untruths in the media and we are sick of being treated so badly. We are treated like rubbish and slaves by ADT Security."

The group has allegedly refused to participate in another talk.

"We've offered to meet with them and they are currently refusing to do so. I am concerned, I don't think anybody should be putting their health and welfare at risk," Mr Barker was quoted by the NZ Herald as saying.

"Everyone deserves to make a living and I am concerned people would be doing such radical things as hunger strikes. I don't think it is appropriate and I don't want passengers' first arrival in New Zealand to be disrupted."

First Union General Secretary Robert Reid was contacted by the Auckland Airport to meet with the ATA drivers. He was supposed to meet with them next Monday, but the meeting has now been labelled as urgent, given that the drivers have already begun hunger strike.

"While the union will help facilitate discussions, a meeting between the airport and the union must not take place without the full participation of ATA and their representatives," Mr Reid said.