CLUTCH and other transport orgs to strike in Iligan City reacts on govt. phase-out plan

CLUTCH office in Suarez, Iligan City.

Iligan City - It will be on Monday, February 27, 2017 is a nationwide transport strike from 5:00 O'clock in the morning until 5:00 O'clock in the afternoon, due to the issue on phasing out of old and dilapidated public utility jeepney (PUJ) and taxi units. The strike is to be led by the Coalition of Lanao del Norte United Transport  for Change (CLUTCH) with total membership of 1,200 comprising of PUJ operators and drivers from Iligan City and Lanao del Norte including Misamis Oriental are all-out support on the strike.

The one day transport strike is called “Tigil Pasada” is in coordination with the National Confederation of Transport Union (NCTU). The general members of CLUTCH clamoring the plan of the government to phase-out the old units with model reckoning 15 years and up. The plan is already set-up and prepared to launch the strike in different choke points in Iligan City.

 

CLUTCH Officers meeting

Mr. Raul C. Permites, CLUTCH President said that there are seven choke points enough to paralyze the public transport operation. These can be found in the areas of Nunucan, Barangay Ma. Cristina; Camague highway - Crossing Mercy hospital, Barangay Tubod; Tubod Bridge, Barangay Tubod; Land Bank area, Barangay Pala-o; Celica area, Barangay Tibanga; Tambo overpass, Barangay Sto. Rosario; Tibanga Highway-Crossing Santiago, Barangay Tibanga.

Permites said that the “Tigil pasada” is a nonviolent action to air their voice in expressing their demands in response to the phase-out plan of the government. The phase-out will allegedly take effect on 2018. He said they are not complaining on public transport modernization but the government must also listen their plight on what are the safety nets especially on their security of tenure on the nature of their work. The PUJ operation has an existing employer-employee relationship, the owner of the unit and the driver.

Permites said they come up with few demands such as there must be a just transition of the phase-out for five-year moratorium or extension to have enough time to prepare themselves; the government should be transparent and have clarity on any assistance to the transport sector economic security; the franchise shall be retained to the owner and opposed the 10-unit franchise because this scheme is favorably for the rich people in the transport business; and  there must be a state subsidies or assistance fund to small operators. 

Permites appeal to the public to understand and support their cause. he also appealing to other transport groups and individual operators and drivers to join the strike to have more strength to grant their demands for their economic security.

On the other hand, the government on the plan of the phase-out will stick on the policy on the process of quasi-judicial hearing in the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to determine the road-worthiness of the PUJ and taxi units. (Reports and photos by Jun Enriquez; with reports by Joan Eslit)