Groups call on government to heed demand for “just transition” after successful first day of jeepney strike

The first day of the two-day transport holiday was called a success by groups that launched the jeepney strike. They reiterated their demand on the government to stop the planned jeepney phase-out and instead implement a “just transition.”

Elmer Blancaflor, spokesperson for the Iloilo chapter of Partido Manggagawa (PM) and also president of the United Panay Truck Drivers Association, said that “Jeepney transport was paralyzed in the whole of Panay island. We estimate that 97% of jeepney drivers participated in the strike in Iloilo City, 95% in Roxas City, 95% in Aklan and 100% in Antique and Guimaras.”

PM together with the National Confederation of Transportworkers Union-Sentro are supporting the strike by the Iloilo City Loop Alliance of Jeepney Owners and Drivers Associations (ICLAJODA) and Confederation of Iloilo Province Jeepney Operators and Drivers Associations (CIPJODA).

“The unity of the jeepney drivers in Panay should be a wake up call on local governments and the Department of Transportation on the grave impact of their so-called modernization plan. The strike yesterday and today is just a preview of more militant protests if government remains deaf and blind to the demand for a just transition,” explained Blancaflor.

PM describes the just transition as consisting of four steps. First, a transition of five years before full implementation of the phase out. Second, assistance and subsidies to operators for the replacement of jeepneys. Third, a ban on the importation of old and surplus engines and second-hand vehicles. And last, conduct a study on the most appropriate alternative to jeepneys such as electric jeeps or hybrid, LPG or Euro4 engines.

“The livelihood of thousands of jeepney drivers should be benefited not endangered by the shift to environmentally-friendly public transportation. Social justice must accompany social progress,” Blancaflor emphasized.

PM criticized the draft Department of Transportation order mandating a minimum of PhP 7 million as capitalization for jeepney operators. “The capitalization requirement is discriminatory and anti-poor. It will lead to the gentrification of the jeepney sector and the dominance by big capitalists to the detriment of ordinary Filipinos who derive their livelihood as operators at present,” Blancaflor averred.

June 6, 2017

Labor group supports jeepney strike for “just transition”

The militant labor group Partido Manggagawa (PM) expressed solidarity with the jeepney drivers who are on strike today and tomorrow in the islands of Panay and Negros in protest at the phase-out scheme of the government.

“Workers do not oppose modernization and the shift to environmentally-friendly public transportation but the transition must be just. Social justice must accompany social progress. The lives and livelihood of thousands of jeepney drivers cannot be sacrificed in the name of change,” declared Elmer Blancaflor, spokesperson for PM-Iloilo and also president of the United Panay Truck Drivers Association.

He added that “We understand and sympathize with the plight of our fellow workers. The temporary inconvenience of the transport holiday cannot compare with the permanent blow that the phase-out will inflict on jeepney drivers. We hope for the understanding of employees, students and commuters who are affected. The fight of jeepney drivers is our fight too.”

The group is supporting a just transition for the jeepney sector in the face of the government’s plan to immediately phase-out PUJ’s that are 15 years and older. PM, the labor center Sentro and its affiliate National Confederation of Transportworkers Union are supporting the strike being launched in Iloilo City and the whole of the Panay island by the groups Iloilo City Loop Alliance of Jeepney Owners and Drivers Associations (ICLAJODA) and Confederation of Iloilo Province Jeepney Operators and Drivers Associations (CIPJODA).

The groups are calling on the government to meet the demand for just transition. Specifically they are demanding a four-point agenda:

1.      Transition of five years before full implementation of the phase out;

2.      Assistance and subsidies to operators for the replacement of jeepneys;

3.      Ban on the importation of old and surplus engines and second-hand vehicles;

4.      Study on the most appropriate alternative to jeepneys such as electric jeeps or hybrid, LPG or Euro4 engines.

Blancaflor also slammed the draft Department of Transportation order requiring PhP 7 million as capitalization for jeepney operators. “The capitalization requirement is discriminatory and anti-poor. It will lead to the gentrification of the jeepney sector and the dominance by big capitalists to the detriment of ordinary Filipinos presently derive their livelihood as operators,” he explained.

PM said that the two-day strike is a just a preview of larger protests and a nationwide strike later if the jeepney drivers’ demands are not met.

June 5, 2017

Labor party calls for removal of VAT on oil to reduce prices

Press Release

March 16, 2012

One day after the transport protest against the unabated increases in oil prices, the Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) called on the administration of President Benigno Aquino III to remove the VAT on oil products as an immediate measure to reduce prices.

“Noynoying at oil price hikes is unacceptable. Malacanang must assuage the public that despite movements in the international price of oil, the government has the menu of options to mitigate the impact of these price movements,” insisted Jong Pacanot, PM-Davao spokesperson.

He added that the government must seriously consider demands for the removal of VAT on oil to mitigate the impact of oil price hikes which is expected to reach the 2008 level of P60/liter.  The government collects twelve percent in every liter of oil products.

 “It is unfortunate that Energy Department officials get elated with the news that there might be a ‘pause’ in oil price hikes this week while the fact remains that more than a decade since the oil deregulation law, the regime of higher oil prices has been pestering the lives of the workers and the poor,” Pacanot asserted.

The labor party added its voice in calling for the government to take decisive steps in stopping relentless hikes in oil prices. The group also asked the government to adjust the current level of wages by granting labor groups’ petitions for wage increase. Last Wednesday, PM and the Philippine Airlines Employees Association picketed the Petron headquarters in Makati City.

“Raising the consumers’ capacity to buy is also an option.  Thus, a new wage order at this point in time must be issued by the government,” Pacanot explained.

The group is open to supporting all means to raise wages from the petition filed by the TUCP at the regional wage boards to a legislated wage hike bill filed in Congress by militant lawmakers.

PALEA holds human chain protest as it claims employees have defied outsourcing plan

Press Release

September 19, 2011

PALEA

The Philippine Airlines Employees Association (PALEA) held a human chain protest this afternoon at the airport as the September 30 termination date of some 2,600 Philippine Airlines (PAL) employees loomed. PALEA also claimed that an overwhelming number of PAL employees have defied the outsourcing plan by not accepting the separation package and not signing up for the work in the service providers.

“As per our monitoring no more than 15% of the total affected employees have claimed the separation offer from management and even less than 7% have applied for jobs in contractual agencies Sky Logistics, Sky Kitchen and SPI Global,” Gerry Rivera, PALEA president and Partido ng Manggagawa vice chair revealed three days after the lapse of the extended deadline for PAL workers to shift to the service providers.

He added that “Today’s human chain protest is part of the continuing campaign to stop the mass layoff and labor contractualization at PAL. PALEA will not stop until we win this fight.” Tomorrow, eve of the anniversary of martial law, PALEA will join other workers groups in a rally at Mendiola to slam government repression in the labor front. On Wednesday, PALEA will assemble its membership on the occasion of its 65^th anniversary.

PALEA is yet to decide whether to attend a dialogue called by the Labor Undersecretary Hans Cacdac tomorrow afternoon. The Labor Department said that it is convening the dialogue as part of its conciliation process to avert strikes. PALEA has however not filed any notice of strike and has declared that its actions are simply protests against a lockout by PAL.

“The one week extension of the original September 9 deadline for terminated workers to apply to the service providers is proof of management’s failure to coerce and cajole PALEA members into accepting the mass layoff. Nobody will work in the service providers since they are bogus and unregistered, and also such will mean a downgrading to contractual status. To cite an example, a senior PAL reservation agent with five years of work experience receives P22,400 in salaries and allowances but is being offered by SPI Global a wage of only PhP 10,000. This is not even the minimum salary and clearly a starvation wage for a family breadwinner,” Rivera explained.

Meanwhile PALEA clarified media reports that their protest today is in support of the nationwide strike of PISTON. Rivera stated that “PALEA and PISTON are fighting for separate and distinct causes. Although similar to PAL employees, jeepney drivers have the right to legitimate protest to seek redress of grievances. We hope our friends in media will be more accurate in their reports since there were also incorrect stories that last Friday’s rally was to commemorate PALEA’s anniversary instead of to protest contractualization.”