March 29, 2004
“The two-day transport strike will push through tomorrow!” This was the declaration of Manuel Duran, Chairperson of the National Transportworkers’ Union (NTU) in response to the withdrawal of some transport groups from the planned actions after having a dialogue with Malacañang.
Malacañang today met with the representatives of the NTU, PCDO-ACTO, FEJODAP, MJODA and ALTODA.
“The meeting was a waste of time,” Bren Sayasa, Deputy Secretary General of the NTU said after attending the said meeting. “After all, the best they come up with are the same unworkable schemes of discounts and minor changes in the tariff rates, and nothing about a rollback of oil prices nor our demand for P1.50 fare increase!” he added.
In the same meeting, government again reiterated their threats to cancel the franchises of those transport workers who would participate in tomorrow’s strike. “Such threats remind us of the Marcos dictatorship,” Josua Mata , APL Secretary General said, “We were not cowed then, we certainly would not be cowed now!”
Among the cities and provinces to be hit by the NTU-APL tomorrow are as follows: NCR; Pampanga; Laguna; Cavite; Cebu; Davao; Cagayan de Oro; Zamboanga; Cotabato; General Santos. In the NCR, APL activists will set-up strike centers in Welcome Rotonda.
The National Transportworkers' Union (NTU) is an umbrella organization of transport workers' federations nationwide founded last December 2003. It is an affiliate of the Alliance of Progressive Labor (APL), a national labor center embracing various forms of workers’ organizations in the formal and informal sectors.
Showing posts with label oil price hike. Show all posts
Showing posts with label oil price hike. Show all posts
Mar 24, 2004
NTU-APL gears for transport strike as government fails to implement P1 peso discount on fuel cost
The National Transportworkers Union (NTU) and the Alliance of Progressive Labor (APL) are utterly dismayed with thegovernment’s failure to fully implement our demand for a P1 peso discount on diesel and gasoline for public transport utilities in all gas stations nationwide. Meanwhile, the government has been sitting on transport groups’ petition for a fare hike increase as oil companies continue to jack up prices of oil products.
Enough is enough! We are giving the government one week to either grant roll back in oil prices or a fare hike. If it fails to do so once again, we are left with no other option but to launch coordinated and paralyzing transport strikes in key cities nationwide!
The NTU-APL had held a series of dialogues with the Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board, the Department of Energy, and the Department of Transportation and Communications to look for various ways to lessen the impact of the continuous increases in the prices of crude oil. The NTU-APL position of P1 peso rebate is intended to be a big relief for the public transport drivers and operators nationwide who have been trying to avoid an increase in fares.
However, the government did not implement the P1 discounts in all gas stations nationwide. Instead, only two to three outlets in some cities are giving discounts. In other cities and municipalities, there are none up to now. Worse, only diesel oil was given the one-peso discount even as other transport utilities like, tricycles and FX-taxis are using gasoline. On top of all these, the oil companies’ continued price increases would eventually make said discounts worthless!
Transport workers have long been awaiting relief, while the government continues to succumb to the profiteering interests of private oil companies. This government can afford to frustrate and starve us, or so it thinks, but cannot put much pressure on resource-rich oil companies.
The NTU-APL asserts that the oil deregulation program of the government is the main problem. We reiterate our demand that the oil companies should not be given a free hand in determining the prices of oil products. A review of this law is long overdue.
Given these negative impacts of deregulation, the NTU-APL is demanding from the government to either roll back the prices of oil products to 2000 levels or allow a P1.50 fare hike. We demand that the government lower the price of diesel to P15.50 per liter and that of gasoline to P20.00 per liter. If this really cannot be done, then we have no other option but to demand for a P1.50 fare increase.
If either would not materialize, then the NTU-APL, together with other transport groups, will hold a nationwide transport strike on 31 March, Wednesday, to let the government know that it can no longer afford to ignore the interests of the transport workers.
The National Transportworkers’ Union (NTU) is an umbrella organization of transport workers’ federations nationwide founded last December 2003. It is an affiliate of the Alliance of Progressive Labor (APL).
Mar 6, 2004
P1 peso rebate: A PARTIAL victory by NTU for the Public Transportworkers
The National Transportworkers Union (NTU), representing about 120,000 members nationwide held yesterday a dialogue with the Land Transportation and Franchising Board, Department of Transportation and Communication, the Department of Energy, and the Shell oil company to demand for a rebate on oil prices for public utility vehicles.
We would like to announce that the NTU was able to push the government and the Shell Company to give a P1 decrease or rebate in the selling price of diesel and gasoline nationwide. This would be a big relief on the public transport drivers and operators nationwide that have been longing for a fare increase.
The grant for a rebate was the result of a series of dialogues with the government that initially gave a measly P0.30 discount on the price of diesel and gasoline outside MetroManila just a few weeks ago. The NTU asserted the demand for a much bigger rebate that would be implemented nationwide since in the National Capital Region oil companies are giving P2.10 discounts.
While supportive of the recent strike for a fare hike, the NTU-Alliance of Progressive Labor (NTU-APL) believe that it should be the last option since the riding public would be gravely affected by it. The fare hike is certainly an additional burden to the riding public especially to the workers and their children who have to look for other ways to augment the deficit it would create in their daily keep.
We would like to clarify that the real problem is the oil deregulation program of the government. It allows the oil companies to change the prices of oil without the benefit of public hearings thus negating the interest of the consumers. The oil companies are free to determine on how much would be the amount it will increase or decrease in the oil price and the date on when to implement it. The public are prevented from knowing on how the oil companies compute the exact rate or amount of the new price of diesel and gasoline.
Without public hearings, oil companies increase at whim the prices of crude at staggering rates while very slow and deliberate in lowering it down. And because there are no public hearings, the public do not know if we are being short-changed by the oil companies when they lower it down. The government has failed miserably to protect the consumers by instituting safeguard mechanisms in situations when oil price hikes are inevitable.
The transport strike serves as a wake up call for the government to look into the problem of our oil industry because oil deregulation does not really work. We will give the government one week to see if they would comply to our agreement for a rebate and if not, we will not hesitate to hold strikes nationwide.
The NTU and the APL will continue to fight for the interest not only of the workers in the public transport utility service but also of the riding public in general. We call on the people to be vigilant and continue to strive for what is just for the good of the country.
We would like to announce that the NTU was able to push the government and the Shell Company to give a P1 decrease or rebate in the selling price of diesel and gasoline nationwide. This would be a big relief on the public transport drivers and operators nationwide that have been longing for a fare increase.
The grant for a rebate was the result of a series of dialogues with the government that initially gave a measly P0.30 discount on the price of diesel and gasoline outside MetroManila just a few weeks ago. The NTU asserted the demand for a much bigger rebate that would be implemented nationwide since in the National Capital Region oil companies are giving P2.10 discounts.
While supportive of the recent strike for a fare hike, the NTU-Alliance of Progressive Labor (NTU-APL) believe that it should be the last option since the riding public would be gravely affected by it. The fare hike is certainly an additional burden to the riding public especially to the workers and their children who have to look for other ways to augment the deficit it would create in their daily keep.
We would like to clarify that the real problem is the oil deregulation program of the government. It allows the oil companies to change the prices of oil without the benefit of public hearings thus negating the interest of the consumers. The oil companies are free to determine on how much would be the amount it will increase or decrease in the oil price and the date on when to implement it. The public are prevented from knowing on how the oil companies compute the exact rate or amount of the new price of diesel and gasoline.
Without public hearings, oil companies increase at whim the prices of crude at staggering rates while very slow and deliberate in lowering it down. And because there are no public hearings, the public do not know if we are being short-changed by the oil companies when they lower it down. The government has failed miserably to protect the consumers by instituting safeguard mechanisms in situations when oil price hikes are inevitable.
The transport strike serves as a wake up call for the government to look into the problem of our oil industry because oil deregulation does not really work. We will give the government one week to see if they would comply to our agreement for a rebate and if not, we will not hesitate to hold strikes nationwide.
The NTU and the APL will continue to fight for the interest not only of the workers in the public transport utility service but also of the riding public in general. We call on the people to be vigilant and continue to strive for what is just for the good of the country.
May 1, 2002
Thousands Marched to Celebrate the Labor Centennial and to demand the country’s withdrawal from the WTO!
GMA hounded by protesters in Cebu and Davao!
Workers vow to fight water and power rate increases, oil price hikes and added taxes!
Tens of thousands of workers belonging to the Alliance of Progressive Labor (APL) today poured into the streets of Manila, Cebu, Bacolod, Davao and Cagayan de Oro to commemorate the 100th year anniversary of the Philippine labor movement, press for the strengthening of workers’ and trade union rights and called for the country’s withdrawal from the World Trade Organization (WTO).
“Massive unemployment, contractualization, low wages, skyrocketing water and electricity rates, oil price hikes and added taxes… is this the government’s nasty way of thanking the labor movement after a 100 years of struggles?,” Daniel L. Edralin, APL chairperson, sarcastically said.
Ironically, while the government is bent on fast tracking trade liberalization in the country, countries of the North have increasingly resorted to protectionist measures in violation of WTO rules just so they can save their workers’ jobs. For the first quarter of 2002, 500 local firms were forced to shut down displacing more than 10,000 workers. “This situation is a complete reversal of what the government promised us before joining the WTO in 1995,” Edralin said. “The WTO benefits the rich countries, while leaving the poor countries devastated. Thus we see no reason for us to stay in the WTO any minute longer,” he added.
In Manila alone, 15,000 workers converged in Welcome Rotonda and marched to Mehan Garden. Representatives Etta Rosales (Akbayan party list) and Del de Guzman (Marikina, lone district) and a number of activist delegates from the International Union of Socialist Youth (IUSY) from Asia and Pacific joined the marchers in protesting the evils of capitalist globalization.
Similar mobilizations were simultaneously held in other key cities. In Cebu, UP President Francisco Nemenzo joined 3,000 workers who marched from Fuente Osmeña to Gaisano South. In Davao, 5,000 workers marched around the city. The Cebu and Davao marchers also picketed President Arroyo’s visit in the two cities. At least 2,000 marchers joined the APL-led rally in Cagayan de Oro.
The Confederation of Independent Unions in the Public Sector (CIU), the Philippine Cement Workers’ Council (PCWC), the National Alliance of Broadcast Unions (NABU), Postal Employees Union of the Philippines (PEUP) and other workers’ organizations joined APL in these mobilizations. Akbayan and BISIG also mobilized their own members in support of the APL.
In its Labor Day Manifesto, the APL vowed to fight the anti-worker and anti-people policies of the Arroyo administration and to work for the strengthening of workers’ and trade union rights by reforming the labor relations framework in the country through a set of legislative measures dubbed as “Labor Centennial Bills.”
The APL is a social movement center composed of trade union federations, national unions, workers’ associations in the informal sector and workers’ community organization. It has chapters in all the major cities around the country.
Workers vow to fight water and power rate increases, oil price hikes and added taxes!
Tens of thousands of workers belonging to the Alliance of Progressive Labor (APL) today poured into the streets of Manila, Cebu, Bacolod, Davao and Cagayan de Oro to commemorate the 100th year anniversary of the Philippine labor movement, press for the strengthening of workers’ and trade union rights and called for the country’s withdrawal from the World Trade Organization (WTO).
“Massive unemployment, contractualization, low wages, skyrocketing water and electricity rates, oil price hikes and added taxes… is this the government’s nasty way of thanking the labor movement after a 100 years of struggles?,” Daniel L. Edralin, APL chairperson, sarcastically said.
Ironically, while the government is bent on fast tracking trade liberalization in the country, countries of the North have increasingly resorted to protectionist measures in violation of WTO rules just so they can save their workers’ jobs. For the first quarter of 2002, 500 local firms were forced to shut down displacing more than 10,000 workers. “This situation is a complete reversal of what the government promised us before joining the WTO in 1995,” Edralin said. “The WTO benefits the rich countries, while leaving the poor countries devastated. Thus we see no reason for us to stay in the WTO any minute longer,” he added.
In Manila alone, 15,000 workers converged in Welcome Rotonda and marched to Mehan Garden. Representatives Etta Rosales (Akbayan party list) and Del de Guzman (Marikina, lone district) and a number of activist delegates from the International Union of Socialist Youth (IUSY) from Asia and Pacific joined the marchers in protesting the evils of capitalist globalization.
Similar mobilizations were simultaneously held in other key cities. In Cebu, UP President Francisco Nemenzo joined 3,000 workers who marched from Fuente Osmeña to Gaisano South. In Davao, 5,000 workers marched around the city. The Cebu and Davao marchers also picketed President Arroyo’s visit in the two cities. At least 2,000 marchers joined the APL-led rally in Cagayan de Oro.
The Confederation of Independent Unions in the Public Sector (CIU), the Philippine Cement Workers’ Council (PCWC), the National Alliance of Broadcast Unions (NABU), Postal Employees Union of the Philippines (PEUP) and other workers’ organizations joined APL in these mobilizations. Akbayan and BISIG also mobilized their own members in support of the APL.
In its Labor Day Manifesto, the APL vowed to fight the anti-worker and anti-people policies of the Arroyo administration and to work for the strengthening of workers’ and trade union rights by reforming the labor relations framework in the country through a set of legislative measures dubbed as “Labor Centennial Bills.”
The APL is a social movement center composed of trade union federations, national unions, workers’ associations in the informal sector and workers’ community organization. It has chapters in all the major cities around the country.
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