Monday, January 5, 2015

Protesters vs MRT-LRT fare hike go full blast, to file TRO at Supreme Court today

Protest against the fare hike at LRT 1, LRT 2, and MRT 3, 5 January 2015. PARTIDO NG MANGGAGAWA FACEBOOK PAGE

MANILA - Protesters against the fare hike at the Metro Rail Transit and the Light Rail Transit train lines on Monday went full blast in their protest actions, including going to the Supreme Court to file a petition against the fare hike.

“Today we fight back,” said Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan), which is spearheading the protests, in a statement.

Protest actions are planned at various MRT stations. Partido Manggagawa (PM), Philippine Airlines Employees Association (PALEA) and Federation of Free Workers (FFW) will lead the protest at Pasay-Taft station, while Sentro and other members of the labor coalition Nagkaisa! will take the North Avenue (Trinoma) Station, and the Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP) will have its protest action at the Cubao Station.

Tagging the fare hike as “Aquino’s Great Train Robbery,” Bayan called on commuters and taxpayers to “resolutely oppose” the fare increases for the MRT3, and the LRT 1 and 2 train lines.

“These added burdens, treacherously announced and implemented during the holidays, are without legal basis and are patently anti-commuter. These increases merely serve the profit interests of the private stakeholders in the train system while justifying government’s abandonment of its responsibility to provide affordable and efficient mass transportation for the people,” Bayan said.

The multisectoral group said the 50% to 87% fare hike will take P2.1 billion from at least 1.3 million commuters who use the three train lines every day.

“Today and in the coming days, we will stage mass protest actions to air the people’s outrage over the unjust fare increases. Today, we file a petition for certiorari and prohibition before the Supreme Court seeking a stop to the fare hike,” it said.

A broad array of groups and individuals united to challenge the fare hike before the High Court and seek a temporary restraining order.

Petitioners include Bayan, represented by its secretary general Renato Reyes Jr., activist and former lawmaker Teodoro CasiƱo, former LRT Administration chief Melquiades A. Robles, Kilusang Mayo Uno chair Elmer C. Labog,

RILES Network spokesman Sammy T. Malunes, Courage chairman Ferdinand R. Gaite, Anakbayan chair Vencer Crisostomo, Alliance of Health Workers president Jossel I. Ebesate, Kadamay chair Gloria G. Arellano, businessman Herman Tiu Laurel, Myrleon E.Peralta,

SSS union president Amorsolo L. Competente, commuter advocate Elvira Y. Medina, commuters Maria Donna Grey Miranda and Angelo Villanueva Suarez of Tren, labor leaders Atty. Jose Sonny G. Matula of the FFW and David L. Diwa of National Labor Union, journalist James Bernard E. Relativo of TREN and Giovanni A. Tapang of Agham.

“The fare hike is without legal basis. The DOTC and its secretary cannot be the fare hike proponent, approving body, and implementor all at the same time. The fare hike cannot be valid without a proper public hearing where the proponents present all the bases for the fare hike and the public is given the opportunity to oppose it,” the group said.

The protesters said the fare hike only seeks to benefit the private stakeholders of the train system.

“It has nothing to do the improving the services of the trains. Congress already appropriated some P9.3 billion for the improvement and rehabilitation of the train system. Why increase fares when Congress has already allocated increased budget?” it said, quoting Senator Francis Escudero, head of the Senate finance committee.

The group explained that the fare increase is due to the privatization scheme being upheld and implemented by the Aquino government.

“The MRT 3’s Build-Lease-Transfer Agreement entered into under the Ramos government had guaranteed the private stakeholders of MRTC a 15% return on investment. This is where the bulk of government subsidy goes, to ensuring the profits of private companies,” the group said.

“It is the same case with LRT 1 whose operations have been privatized in favor of the Ayala Corporation and Metro Pacific. They are now entitled to collect and utilize the fares as a part of a P65 billion privatization deal. The LRT2 is also up for privatization and the same will apply,” it added.

The Aquino government has so far guaranteed the profits of a few while guaranteeing the misery of millions of low and middle-income commuters who depend on the train, it said. Aquino invokes the neo-liberal notion of “users-pay” where the public is forced to spend more while government cuts back on subsidy.

“It is time to stop this unjust fare hike dead on its tracks. It is time to put the brakes on the privatization of the train lines. We will not be run over by a callous and anti-commuter regime,” the group said. - InterAksyon.com

Workers to PNoy on MRT, LRT fare hike: ‘Penalize private contractors not us’

The government must penalize the private contractors who messed up the operation of the MRT system instead of running after the meager income of workers who use the metro rail system regularly.

Labor groups under the coalition Nagkaisa! made this call as they kicked off the first working day of the year with protest actions against the MRT and LRT fare hike implemented by the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) last Sunday.

Philippine Airlines Employees Association (PALEA) President and Partido Manggagawa (PM) Vice Chair Gerry Rivera, who led the protest action today at the MRT-Pasay Taft station said, “Liabilities borne out of an onerous contract should not be passed on to consumers penalizing them in effect as in the case of the Build-Lease-Transfer (BLT) contract with the Metro Rail Transit Corporation (MRTC) that built the MRT3 in 1997.”

He added that an ordinary worker who use the MRT will have to shell out at least P8,000 to cover the rate increase of 87% (from P15-P28) in one year. Total annual cost of the adjusted MRT rate will be at least P17,000.

Rivera lamented further that instead of penalizing the private concessionaires for messing up with its contract to efficiently operate and maintain the system, “the government is rewarding them with steady flow of income from the fare hike shouldered by lowly-paid workers.”

On his part, Josua Mata, Secretary General of Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa (SENTRO) who led the protest action together with Public Services Labor Conferederation (PSLINK), PM and other members of Nagkaisa! at MRT’s North Avenue station, said the government should finally rescind the contract and take over the operation of the entire system so that the concept of ‘subsidy’ does not become a misnomer anymore for the take-or-pay contract.

Mata argued, “When the government takes money from commuters through a fare hike and transfers that money to fraudulent hands of private companies, that is not subsidy. That's malady.”

He noted that the fare hike is not meant for service upgrade but for debt payments to a private concessionaire.

The Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP) which led the protest action at MRT-Cubao station likewise believes that the fare hike is the bitter fruit of a failed privatization program of the country’s mass transport system.

Nagkaisa! vowed to conduct more protest actions this month against the fare hike.

Unang araw ng pasukan ng 2015 sinalubong ng protesta ng manggagawa laban sa pagtaas ng pasahe sa MRT at LRT

Balik trabaho ang milyun-milyong manggagawa sa Kamaynilaan at kasabay nito, sinalubong naman ng protesta ng grupong Nagkaisa ang ipinapatupad na pagtaas ng pamasahe sa MRT at LRT.

Mahigit kalahati mula sa dating singil ang nadagdag sa pasahe sa MRT3 at LRT 1 & 2.

Pinangunahan ng Partido Manggagawa (PM), PALEA at Federation of Free Workers (FFW) ang protesta sa kabilang dulo ng MRT sa Pasay-Taft habang ang grupong Sentro ng Nagkakaisang Manggagawa o Sentro, PSLINK, PM, at iba pang kasapi ng Nagkaisa sa dulong istasyon naman ng North Avenue sa Trinoma. Ang Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP) naman ang nanguna sa Cubao station.

Bukod sa pagtuligsa sa ipinapatupad na pagtaas, hinihikayat din ng grupo ang kapwa manggagawa na personal na ipahayag ang kanilang protesta sa pamamagitan ng ibat-ibang paraan gaya ng ‘selfie’ at ‘groufie’, pagsali sa mga petisyon at pagsama mismo sa mga aksyon laban dito.

Tinututulan ng manggagawa ang pagtaas ng pamasahe sa MRT at LRT sa 4 na dahilan:

§ Mahihirap na manggagawa ang nakikinabang sa subsidyo at murang pasahe sa MRT at LRT;
§ Ang pagtaas ay hindi mapupunta sa maayos na serbisyo dahil nakalaan itong pambayad sa madaya ngunit garantisadong kita ng private concessionaire na MRTC;
§ Tinatanggal ng gubyerno ang subsidyo sa MRT at LRT pero nilalakihan naman nito ang travel budget ng mga opisyal ng pamahalaan;
§ Ang fare hike ay insentibo sa pribatisasyon ng MRT at LRT.

Nanawagan ang Nagkaisa! sa Malacanang na bawiin ng desisyon sa dagdag na pasahe dahil ang rehabilitasyon nito ay pinondohan na sa loob ng 2015 National Budget.

Nagbabala pa ang grupo na lalo lang magagalit ang mananakay ng tren dahil wala silang makikitang pagbabago sa serbisyo nito sa kabila ng dagdag na singil.

Hindi aniya patas na maginhawa ang byahe ng mga opisyal ng pamahalaan dahil sa lumalaking travel budget ng mga ito habang parusa ang pasalubong ng bagong taon sa milyun-milyong manggagawa.

Nagbabala rin ang grupo na maglulunsad pa ng mga susunod na protesta hangga’t hindi ito itinitigil ng pamahalaan.





Sunday, January 4, 2015

4 reasons why workers oppose LRT, MRT fare hike - labor groups

MANILA - What are the four basic reasons why workers, who make up the bulk of LRT and MRT commuters, oppose the fare hike?

The labor coalition Nagkaisa! names these reasons as:


  • Fare hike is not meant for service upgrade but for debt payments to a private concessionaire.
  • Most of train riders belong to lowly-paid workers and cannot afford the increase.
  • Government is cutting MRT/LRT subsidy but hiking travel budget of public officials.
  • Fare hike is a move towards privatization.

In a joint statement, Nagkaisa! also asked LRT and MRT riders, who also include a majority of students, to express their opposition to the fare hike through:

  • Taking selfies or group pictures holding mini posters and posting them on their social media accounts with the hashtag, #MRTprotest
  • Joining online petitions addressed to the DOTC, Malacanang, and Congress
  • Seeking remedy from the courts
  • Joining scheduled mass actions

The Nagkaisa! coalition, which includes various labor groups, plans to hold various protect activities on Monday.

Members of Partido Manggagawa (PM), Philippine Airlines Employees Association (PALEA), and Federation of Free Workers (FFW) will be leading the protest at the MRT Pasay-Taft station while the Sentro ng Nagkakaisang Manggagawa (Sentro), Public Sevices Labor Independent Confederation (PSLINK), PM and other members of Nagkaisa! are taking the MRT North Avenue station. The Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP) is taking the Cubao station.

Aside from the mass action, Nagkaisa! will be distributing leaflets explaining why commuters should oppose the fare hike.

‘First oppressive policy of 2015’

“The fare hike is the first oppressive policy of the year, the first assault by government on workers’ living condition. Workers were first to pay their taxes but they were also the first to carry the burden of budget cuts and other unjust policies by government,” said PM spokesman Wilson Fortaleza.

He added: “Sa daang matuwid, manggagawa ang tinitipid (on the straight path, workers are shortchanged).”

For his part, PALEA President Gerry Rivera lamented that while fares in other modes of transportation, including airlines, are dropping significantly because of the sharp drop in oil prices, fares in the MRT and LRT are rising by as much as 87 percent.

SENTRO Secretary General and Nagkaisa! convenor Josua Mata said, “The true logic of removing the MRT subsidy is the government shifting to the role of shameless facilitator to the transfer of public money to private hands. In this particular case, the commuters are subsidizing the guaranteed returns of private investors.”

In a series of dialogues with the President, Nagkaisa! has called for a cost-effective and efficient mass transport system since the heavy traffic has been eating up a lot of the workers’ productive hours.

“The PNoy administration has not only failed to address the traffic mess, it is shamelessly adding a three-fold burden to workers who will have to shell out more for their own train fare and that of their children who go to school,” said Julius Cainglet of the Federation of Free Workers (FFW).

The Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) proceeded with the implementation of the rate hike Sunday, amid oppositions from labor, commuter groups and legislators.

Hundreds of thousands of people use each of the metro lines every day.

Workers up against ‘assault on labor’ on first working day of 2015

Labor groups under the coalition Nagkaisa! are set to welcome the first working day of 2015 with a protest against what they consider as government’s assault on workers’ living condition – the implementation of fare hikes in the MRT and LRT system.

The Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) proceeded with the implementation of the rate hike yesterday, amid oppositions from labor, commuter groups and legislators.

Based on surveys, lowly-paid workers and students make up the bulk of regular train riders.

Members of Partido Manggagawa (PM), Philippine Airlines Employees Association (PALEA) and The Federation of Free Workers (FFW) will be leading the protest at the MRT Pasay-Taft station while the Sentro ng Nagkakaisang Manggagawa (SENTRO), Public Sevices Labor Independent Confederation (PSLINK), PM and other members of Nagkaisa are taking the MRT North Avenue station. The Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP) is taking the Cubao station.

Aside from the mass action, Nagkaisa! will be distributing leaflets explaining why commuters should reject the fire hike and how they can express their protest.

In opposing the fare hike Nagkaisa! contends that:

· Fare hike is not meant for service upgrade but for debt payments to a private concessionaire;
· Most of train riders belong to lowly-paid workers;
· Government cutting MRT/LRT subsidy but hiking travel budget of public officials;
· Fare hike is a move towards privatization

The group said commuters can express their opposition in various forms including:

· Making selfies or group pics holding mini posters and posting it on their social media accounts accompanied by #MRTprotest hashtag;
· Joining online petitions addressed to the DOTC, Malacanang and Congress;
· Seeking remedy from the courts; and
· Joining scheduled mass actions

“The fare hike is the first oppressive policy of the year, the first assault by government on workers’ living condition. Workers were first to pay their taxes but they were also the first to carry the burden of budget cuts and other unjust policies by government,” said PM spokesman Wilson Fortaleza.

He added: “Sa daang matuwid, manggagawa ang tinitipid.”

On his part PALEA President Gerry Rivera, lamented that while fares in other modes of transportation, including airlines, are dropping significantly because of the sharp drop in oil prices, but fares in the MRT and LRT are rising by as much as 87%.

SENTRO Secretary General and Nagkaisa! convenor Josua Mata said, “The true logic of removing the MRT subsidy is the government shifting to the role of shameless facilitator to the transfer of public money to private hands. In this particular a case, the commuters subsidizing the guaranteed returns of private investors.”

The Nagkaisa in a series of dialogues with the President has called for a cost-effective and efficient mass transport system since the heavy traffic has been eating up a lot of productive hours of workers.

“The PNoy administration has not only failed to address the traffic mess, it is shamelessly adding a three-fold burden to workers who will have to shell out more for their own train fare and that of their children who go to school,” said Julius Cainglet of the Federation of Free Workers (FFW).