Starex to pursue, stage 2-day strike

By LITO RULONA
Correspondent

THE Solidarity of Transport Alliance in Northern Mindanao-Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operator Nationwide yesterday said it would push through with its planned two-day strike here next week.

The strike would be staged on Minday and Tuesday, said Starex-Piston secretary general Ringo Lago.

The strike is mainly aimed at protesting the government’s modernization program for jeepneys which Starex-Piston sees as a phaseout, and the “monopoly” in the country’s public transport industry.

Lago said he informed Piston leaders in Manila that his group would stage the protest here simultaneously with the Piston-led protest there.

Lago said his group would be joined by cause-oriented groups like Bayan, Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas, and organizations of urban and rural poor, fisherfolk and students.

He said the National Confederation of Transport Unions had originally signified its support for Starex-Piston’s cause but subsequently withdrew it.

He said NCTU opted not to join “kay hapit na daw sila mahimo nga cooperative.”

Lago said the Transport Federation of Cagayan de Oro would also not participate in the transport strike.

But despite the lack of support from similar public transport groups, Lago said Starex-Piston is still optimistic that at least 50 percent of members of the public transport sector here would take part in the two-day strike.

“Bisan namahawas ang uban nagpadayon gihapon ang Starex-Piston sa pagpahigayon og transport pahulay. Nagpakita lamang kining uban nga misakay lamang sa panahon,” Lago said.

Lago said the planned “phaseout” would “massacre” the livelihood of over 600 thousand jeepney drivers and operators nationwide starting in January 2018.

He said the transportation department’s omnibus franchising guidelines forces jeepney drivers and operators to buy a minimum of 10 brand new jeepneys at over P1.6 million each that would be operated under a fleet management scheme run by big transport companies.

Under the scheme, fares would be collected through the “beep card” automated collection system owned and operated by the Ayala-Pangilinan consortium, which, according to Piston, already has a “monopoly control” over the train systems Metro Rail Transit 3 and Light Rail Transit 1 and LRT 2.

Lago said the move is the start of monopoly, in line with the Ayala-Pangilinan consortium’s alleged plan to monopolize the country’s mass transport system.

Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board regional director Aminodin Guro said the government would deploy buses with the help of some private firms to offer free rides to stranded passengers.