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20240427-Piston-announces-a-3-day-nationwide-strike

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Andrea Taguines

ABS-CBN News

<div><span dir="ltr" id="isPasted"><span dir="ltr" id="isPasted"></span></span></div><p>MANILA — Transport group Piston will join forces with several labor groups next week for a three-day nationwide strike and other protests against the government’s Public Utility Vehicle (PUV) modernization program, which is feared to wipe out thousands of traditional jeepneys after the April 30 franchise consolidation deadline.</p><p>The strike will start on April 29 and will culminate in a big protest on May 1, Labor Day, according to Piston Deputy Secretary General Ruben Baylon during a press conference on Satuday.</p><p>He said 100,000 people are expected to participate in Metro Manila alone. </p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/25/24/no-more-extension-for-puv-consolidation-after-april-30-dotr" id="isPasted">RELATED: No more extension for PUV consolidation after April 30: DOTr </a></div><p>“Napipintong mawalan ng kabuhayan ang mga driver at operator sa usapin ng mga consolidation deadline na ipinapatupad ng DOTr (Department of Transportation) at LTFRB (Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board)… Ito rin ang dahilan kaya andito kami ngayon upang ipahayag ang tatlong araw na tigil-pasada,” he said.</p><p>(Drivers and operators stand to losetheir livelihoods with the consolidation deadline that the DOTr and LTFRB will implement... This is also why we are here to announce a three-day transport strike.) </p><p>Baylon said their goal is to paralyze public transportation in several areas, particularly in these roads in the National Capital Region:</p><p>- Alabang</p><p>- Baclaran</p><p>- Sucat</p><p>- Taft Avenue</p><p>- Agoncillo</p><p>- Monumento</p><p>- Novaliches</p><p>- Litex</p><p>- Anonas</p><p>- Project 2 and 3, Quezon City</p><p>- Katipunan</p><p>- Philcoa </p><p>Activists hold strikes and similar forms of protest when other avenues like dialogues have been exhausted.</p><p>Apart from highlighting protesters&#x27; issues, strikes are also meant to show that the sector holding the strike is an important, even indispensable, part of the system and deserves to be heeded.</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/4/26/end-of-the-road-philippine-jeepneys-face-uncertain-future-1201" id="isPasted">READ: End of the road? Philippine jeepneys face uncertain future </a></div><div><strong>LABOR STANDS WITH TRANSPORT WORKERS</strong></div><p>Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) Secretary General Jerome Adonis said the labor sector stands with jeepney operators and drivers in their fight since workers and commuters will be affected by the expected increase in fares once traditional jeepneys are replaced with modern units.</p><p>Transport authorities have said that this will not happen and that fare increases need approval by the LTFRB.</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/18/24/ibon-predicts-p30-to-p35-minimum-fare-in-coming-years">READ: Think tank predicts P30 to P35 minimum fare in coming years</a></div><p>“Sabi nila hindi raw tataas ang pamasahe. Isang malaking kasinungalingan. P2.8 (million) ang halaga ng (modern) jeep, paano mababayaran? Simple, tataas mo yung pamasahe… Tanging traditional jeepney na lamang ang pinakamurang means of transportation para sa aming mga manggagawa na napakababa ng sahod, tatanggalin pa,” said Adonis.</p><p>(They say that fares will not go up. That is a big lie. A modern jeep costs P2.8 million and how will you pay for that? Simple, you raise fares. The traditional jeepney is the least expensive means of transportation for us workers and they are taking it away.)</p><p>Transport officials have pointed out that there are lower-priced modern jeepney units, but many operators and drivers say their current units can still be upgraded to modern standards.</p><p>Adonis also sought the understanding and participation of commuters in the protest actions to amplify their call to junk the modernization program.</p><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PCMX_j8soHw?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><div><strong>CONGRESS URGED TO ACT</strong></div><p>Former Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Ferdinand Gaite meanwhile called on his former colleagues in to find a way to stop the consolidation deadline when Congress reconvenes on April 29.</p><p>“No less than the Speaker of the House, si Martin Romualdez, (said) dapat tignan nang maigi kung anong magiging impact nitong phaseout at corporate takeover,” Gaite, representing All Workers&#x27; Union said.</p><p>(No less than the Speaker of the House, Martin Romualdez, has said we have to look carefully at the impact of this phaseout and corporate takeover.)</p><p>Piston also has a pending petition at the Supreme Court to block the implementation of the deadline. But even if it does push through, Baylon said their members will continue to ply their routes, regardless of the consequences.</p><p>“Patuloy kaming dudulog doon habang bumibiyahe at habang nagsho-shortage yung sasakyan sa kalsada. Tiyak naman po magkaka-krisis yan e,&quot; he said. </p><p>(We will continue to reach out to these institutions while we ply our routes and while there is a shortage in public transportation. We are sure that there will be a crisis.)</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/2024/4/26/dotr-urged-to-focus-on-select-routes-first-on-jeepney-modernization-2122" id="isPasted">DOTr urged to focus on select routes first on jeepney modernization</a></div><div><strong>GOVERNMENT PLAYS DOWN STRIKE</strong></div><p>Meanwhile, the DOTr again played down the possible impact of the strike on commuters, especially with an inter-agency task force on standby to help those who may get stranded.</p><p>&quot;Full force ang ating government. Inter-agency po ‘to from MMDA, DOTr, LTFRB, [Philippine National Police], [Department of the Interior and Local Government], all local governments po, talagang sama-sama po always sa ganitong event,&quot; DOTr Undersecretary Andy Ortega told ABS-CBN News.</p><p>(Our government will be out in force for this. It will be an inter-agency effort. We really work together in these events.)</p><p>Ortega also called on rallyists to avoid causing heavy traffic along major roads, like what happened during the last protest caravan they conducted in mid-April. </p><p>The Quezon City Police District filed complaints against several protesters, including Manibela Chairman Mar Valbuena, for disruptive behavior following after the transport strike.</p><p>“Karapatan naman nilang maglabas ng kanilang saloobin ngunit ang importante ay sundin natin yung labas. Walang iligal na gawain kasi andyan naman yung ating kapulisan to implement the law. Huwag po nating iperwisyo, wag nating abalahin ang normal na buhay, lalong-lalo na ng ating mga manggagawa, mga estudyante,&quot; said Ortega.</p><p>(It is their right to air their sentiments, but they should follow the law. They will not do anything illegal since the police will be there to implement the law. Let us not disturb the routines of our workers and students.)</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/2024/4/12/francisco-motors-eyes-100-terminals-for-electric-jeeps-nationwide-1614" id="isPasted">RELATED: Francisco Motors eyes 100 terminals for electric jeeps nationwide </a></div><div><strong>MANIBELA ALSO PLANNING STRIKE</strong></div><p>In an interview with ABS-CBN News, Valbuena said Manibela is also preparing to go on strike next week along with Piston and other labor groups.</p><p>But he asserted that the heavy flow of traffic that ensued during their last rally was not their doing but that of authorities blocking their way to Mendiola, a historic protest site in Manila.</p><p>&quot;Yung mga humarang po sa amin ang nag-cause ng traffic kasi kung walang humarang sa amin, tuloy-tuloy lang yung caravan namin. Sila ang nanggigipit sa atin, iniipit tayo sa gitna kaya hindi tayo agad makaalis,&quot; said Valbuena.</p><p>(Those who blocked the way caused the traffic. The caravan would have passed through quickly if they did not block us.)</p><p>&quot;Hindi tugon dito ang paglatag sa atin ng kaso at pagsabotahe sa atin at kung anu-anong bintang na ginagawa. Hindi tayo titigil,” he added.</p><p>(Filing cases and sabotaging us are not the proper responses to our calls. We will not stop.)</p><p>The labor leaders said Saturday that workers, including those in the transport system, would not be protesting in the first place if not for what they said was government’s failure to address the people’s concerns.</p><p>“Kinukundena namin ang ginagawang harassment ng gobyerno ni Bongbong Marcos sa mga the likes ni Mar Valbuena. Hindi na ito kakaiba doon sa ginagawa sa iba pang manggagawa na sinasampahan na iba’t ibang gawa-gawang kaso,” said Gaite.</p><p>(We condemn the harassment by the Bongbong Marcos government of the likes of Mar Valbuena. This is no different from what has been done to other workers who have been slapped with baseless complaints.)</p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VfH6kE1h1h4?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div>

<p>Piston will join forces with several labor groups next week in staging a three-day nationwide strike and other protest actions against the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program.</p>

Piston will join forces with several labor groups next week in staging a three-day nationwide strike and other protest actions against the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program.

Transport, labor groups join forces vs franchise consolidation deadline

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Transport, labor groups join forces vs franchise consolidation deadline

Andrea Taguines,

ABS-CBN News

Published Apr 27, 2024 05:34 PM PHT

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Updated Apr 27, 2024 08:04 PM PHT

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