Transportation Strike

I had difficulty going to work today but I made it on time. There was a transportation strike that made it hard for commuters to get to their destination. Hard but not impossible. Namely because the only vehicles that went on strike were jeepneys. Add to the fact not all of them joined in - which I'm very thankful for.

Strikes happen so often that it's commonplace. So much so that the government has taken steps to work around them by providing free rides in major routes. People use other forms of transportation that are available such as buses and FX too. And if their rides don't go all the way to their destination, they walk.

To be honest, I don't see the logic behind going on strike. Sure, it sends a message that jeepney operators and drivers are (mostly) united. But to what effect? In the end, it doesn't really change anything. Prices for fuel and commodities will still go up. The governement will still have incompetent and corrupt officials. And the public will still be indifferent to the plights of laborers.

We can't blame the transportation groups for going on strike. Oil prices have been steadily increasing over the past few years since the government overturned the law for subsidizing it. In response, basic commodities have risen in price as well. Though rollbacks are a welcome respite, they're rare and not as compelling in reducing the price of basic commodities as it is in increasing them.

In my opinion, going on strike is ineffective; it doesn't hurt the oil industry, which is the main target. In a business model, the oil industry is not the employer and jeepney associations are not the employees. In other words, a strike will not work because the relationship between one and the other is not the same as in occupational relationship. In fact, strikes do more harm than good.

Strikes hamper commuters - the main source of income for jeepney drivers - from going to where they need to go. The public will be inconvenienced at least, and irked at most. But the worst hit will be the drivers themselves who won't have earned a living to support their families - which is why not all of them join-in.

Do these people really think the executives of gasoline manufacturers use public transportation to get to work? Heck, these businessmen might even be thanking them for keeping the roads clear of public utilities as they drive off in their SUVs. It might interfere with the work schedule of their employees. But, ultimately, those people are not the decision-makers of the company.

And should strikers say that they are doing this in order to make the public aware of their situation, then they are wasting their time. The public is already aware of their condition because they are going through the same thing. We are all struggling to make a living as prices soar to new heights. If anything, they are turning public opinion against them.

If the transportation and militant groups really want to make a change, they should start with themselves - specifically, their choice of actions. They fail to realize that they are consumers. As such, they empowered with choice. It is their money that supports the oil industry; they are dependent on them for their income. Perhaps that is the business model they should be applying instead.

They should play both ends against the middle. In other words, patronize one oil company - for a time - with their business rather than all of them. This will enable jeepney associations to ask for discount rates and other perks, compelling the competition to give them better offers for guaranteed sales.

If the strike today is any indication of how persuasive associations are with their members, then they can take a large chunk out of these company's profits. Unlike a strike, this is a long term endeavor that can make executives of oil companies take notice.