DAVAO CITY – Workers called for compassion for public utility jeep drivers in the country saying rollback on jeepney fares should not be lower than P7 even as global oil prices are decreasing.
Elmer Labog, Kilusang Mayo Uno chairperson said jeepney drivers are “some of the hardest working Filipinos and are some of the hardest on cash.”
“Before the latest rollback, most of the jeepney drivers in Metro Manila were taking home no more than P400 a day, below the P481 minimum wage in the region,” he said.
“Unless a big-time rollback in domestic oil prices in the vicinity of P5 per liter is carried out, we believe that the rollback in the basic jeepney fares should stop at P7,” Labog said in a statement on Saturday.
The group urged the government to order the Big 3 oil players to implement “an even bigger price rollbacks.”
“Studies show that they should have lowered their the per liter prices of diesel and gasoline by P8 and P15 respectively, but have refused to do so until now,” said Labog.
“It should order a rollback in fares for the MRT and LRT, which depend on oil for their operation. The fact that MRT and LRT fares are unresponsive to oil prices exposes the layers upon layers of anomalous privatization contracts that are burdensome to all Filipinos,” he added.
Labog also said a rollback on power and water rates should be implemented. (davaotoday.com)
