Bacolod City transport groups stop two-day strike
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BACOLOD CITY — Transport groups in this city called off their two-day transportation strike on Monday afternoon after their grievances were raised before the House committee on transportation.
The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board also agreed to hold a dialog with them on Tuesday, March 22.
Albert Villanueva, chairman of the Sentrong Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operators Negros (SStone), said the strike that began 3 a.m. Monday was called off at about 4 p.m. of the same day after House Minority Floor Leader Stephen Paduano of the Abang Lingkod party-list and Bacolod Rep. Greg Gasataya informed them of the results of a congressional meeting on their demands for fuel subsidies and assistance to transport groups.
“Our short-lived strike was a success because our demand for drivers’ subsidies was swiftly acted on, and a dialog with the LTFRB was arranged,” Villanueva said.
Aside from SStone, other groups which were supposed to join the strike include the United Negros Drivers and Operators Center (UNDOC), and the Federation of Bacolod City Drivers Associations (FEBACDA).
Elizabeth Katalbas, FEBACDA president, said they were resuming operations since LTFRB Regional Director Richard Osmeña is meeting them on Tuesday.
Diego Malacad, UNDOC secretary general, said they also agreed to call off the strike and remove their rally centers late Monday.
Gasataya and Paduano said they raised the call of the local transport groups for the release of fuel subsidies to the drivers and for the provision of assistance to transport groups at the House Committee on Transportation meeting on Monday.
The two legislators also conducted a consultative meeting with local transport groups representing 7,000 drivers on Sunday to ensure that all their concerns, especially on rightful driver beneficiaries receiving assistance, could be raised at the national level.
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