To strike is justified – Bayan
With Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. refusing to extend the flawed and arbitrary December 31 deadline for franchise consolidation of PUVs and with the insistence of government to impose a commercialized “modernization” scheme on drivers and operators, the scheduled transport strike on December 14 and 15 and other dates across the country, are totally justified.
The December 31 deadline for franchise consolidation under the profit-oriented PUV “modernization” program will bring about unprecedented loss of livelihood for drivers and operators. There are 64,639 unconsolidated units nationwide, 30,862 of which are PUJs and 4,852 UV express units in NCR. Marcos does not seem to care for the drivers and operators. Even under the best case scenarios peddled by DoTr, there will remain more than 28,000 PUJs and more than 4,000 UV express units in NCR which will fail to consolidate. Is this the “minority” Mr. Marcos is talking about? They do not matter at all?
We call on the public to support our drivers and operators who stand to lose their livelihood. We call on the commuters to protest the worsening mass transport crisis once the 64,000 PUVs are phased out and can no longer operate. We call on LGUs to press government on the arbitrary deadline because of the disastrous effects it will have on livelihood and the commuting public.
The holiday season is bleak for thousands of drives and their families. Let this season of giving also be a season of solidarity for those who have less and those who struggle against oppression.
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