Piston cancels 2-day transport strike

FILE: NO TO JEEPNEY PHASEOUT. Members of transport groups hold protest in front of the Andres Bonifacio monument in Grace Park, Caloocan City during the first day of transport strike against the PUV modernization program. (PNA photos by Noel Veloso)

MANILA — Transport group Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide (PISTON) announced on Sunday the cancellation of its planned nationwide transport strike slated December 4-5.

Piston president George San Mateo made the announcement after Senator Grace Poe vowed to hear their concerns in an “urgent” Senate hearing on December 7.

“Pansamantalang pinagpapaliban natin ang tigil pasada bukas at sa Martes nang sa gayon mabigyan din, maharap namin yung public hearing sa December 7 at mas mapaghandaaan ang mas malaking tigil pasada sa darating na Enero” (We have temporarily cancelled our transport strike tomorrow and on Tuesday so that we can face the public hearing on December 7 and prepare for a bigger strike on January), San Mateo said in a press briefing.

Poe, who chairs the Senate Committee on Public Services, earlier appealed to transport groups to call off their planned transport strike and “instead sit down” in a Senate hearing on the jeepney modernization program.

Last Tuesday, transport groups Piston and No to Jeepney Phaseout Coalition said they would stage another protest action against the government’s plan to phaseout old jeepney units.

On Friday, three local government units (LGUs) announced the suspension of classes in anticipation of the planned nationwide transport strike. These are: Albay — all levels (except schools in islands and far-flung areas, to be determined by local school authorities); Camarines Sur — all levels; and Guagua, Pampanga — all levels.

 (PNA)