#i am very glad the government negotiated and didn't do back to work legislation

[sieh]

in good labour news: 155,000 federal government employees (a third of the canadian government!) went on strike last week and yesterday the 120,000 employees in one PSAC group made a deal. they were originally asking for a pay increase of 4.5% per year (up from 1.8% in the old CBA) to outpace inflation and negotiated down to 3.2% per year.

interesting parts of the agreement: there was a 2,500$ signing bonus, which is a nice way of immediately getting money to people who need it the most, and more freedom to telework if duties allow.

solidarity with the 35,000 people from the other PSAC group still striking!

[scara-meow-che]

HRLLO I WAS THE SCARADANGO ANON IM GKAD UR BACK WTFFF!!!!!!!!

how do u feel about the transport strike and the phase out of jeepneys?

hello scaradango anon <3 it's been so long since i'm last here so yeah and i'm glad to be back!

anyway, to the main point of this ask, i really want to expound on the ongoing transport strike and phase-out of jeepneys occurring here in the ph so long post below the cut!

i am fully aware of the risk in publicizing my thoughts on this matter because the government is still adamant about listening to the public's concerns and forces the act of red-tagging, but to those interested in knowing more about the situation, feel free to access on the links i'd be adding on this post.

i'm currently in a youth org that organizes strikes as to what you'd typically see on tv and this has been causing a lot of issues on our side as well mainly because we've been in touch with the majority of those jeepney drivers. it's honestly disheartening and frankly, it only proves how incompetent the government is despite countless efforts to overthrow the regime or even push a peaceful negotiation. please keep in mind that these transport strikes wouldn't happen to begin with if those who are in power would listen and be objective enough to know the extent of whatever plans they have for this country. and, sad to say, they often think ahead while ignoring the social, economical, and cultural means that the Philippines has and would often lay out plans that can't easily be manifested due to these circumstances.

going back to the topic, transport strikes had been long occurring in the country (started around the 1970s but it wasn't as worse as it is around 2017) and one of the questions that would come to mind is what came out of these strikes. if i were to be subjective in my answer, i would say that it's relatively easy to resolve issues revolving around the jeepney phase-out. think of this similarly to the case of uniforms being compulsory in schools. in order to assess such conditions, we must ALWAYS look at those who are going to be directly affected by such regulation. there is both importance in having uniforms to be compulsory in schools same as having modernized jeepneys that can help in fewer gas emissions for the environment. but we keep on neglecting those who would enact the said ordinance. hence why people complain and pursue to have these legislations reassessed based on those who are AFFECTED by it.

i am NOT against the modernization of jeepneys but i am against how they would implement this without considering how EXPENSIVE this is. the jeepney drivers would be the very victims of this transition. the fact that a lot barely earn above the minimum wage every day, do people seriously think that they can simply pull out roughly 2.6 million pesos just to comply on the ordered modernization? even if it's loaned, do you honestly expect a normal human being to work the majority of their years paying off that debt without even earning above the actual wage and just waste away their life LIKE THAT. i don't even want to start on how some people argue "that's life" well FUCK THAT LIFE honestly. how inhumane can you even be to say that bs?

also, i may also add here how much i hate how the middle-class workers are angry at the jeepney drivers. it's similar to how those who voted for leni got angry at those who didn't vote for her. like wake the fuck up, these people ARE NOT YOUR ENEMY, PLEASE. it baffles me how much they fight for a free nation yet they are also the one who enables indirect oppression of the lower class people who had nothing but to fight in the streets because they aren't as privileged as the middle class is to be educated and know who and where to go to. (yes, i am being political here and i kinda get their frustration but redirect it properly next time. it irks me to hear and read their insensitive sentiments on twitter or in public)

it's a systematic problem really. i sympathize more with the jeepney drivers because i had talked to one of them on my way back home telling me how much they earn a day. imagine earning at least around 5k php where 2k would most likely be paid for the jeepney operator and then 1k for the actual jeep itself. most of the time, the jeepney driver is the one who pays for the gas and other fixtures of the jeepney so they barely get 500php. this is for three round trips on each destination that they have to drive throughout the day.

another thing is the jeepney operators HHHNNGGG I HATE THEM SM PLEASE. the number of times that i have to restrain myself just hearing all the bs that their mouth keeps on saying on tv while being the same people who can't even lend a hand to these poor jeepney drivers GGGRRRR I AM JUST SO ANGRY AT THEM.

so yes, i am clearly frustrated and stressed with what is happening here during the transport strike and it's been weeks of us preparing for it and the gov't just won't let up. so, as to what we all would say:

i can't disclose more of my affiliation in this post (no worries, i am safe) but do remind yourself that the victims of this systematic oppression shouldn't be hindered by any means and must be heard at all times. lagi't lagi para sa bayan <3

helpful links to see more of the situation regards the jeepney phase-out and transport strike here in the Philippines.

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