Citrasco won’t join strike, Cebu City classes to go on

A transport group in Cebu with at least 1,000 jeepney driver members will not join Monday’s transport strike as Cebu City’s public schools will also hold classes despite the strike.

Ryan Benjamin Yu, Cebu Integrated Transport Service Multipurpose Cooperative (Citrasco) president, said yesterday that they decided not to join the strike after they met with leaders of the National Confederation of Transportworkers Union (NCTU) and Pagkakaisa ng Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide (Piston) Cebu.

Piston is leading the nationwide transport strike on Monday.

“There is no reason to join the protest. There is no such thing as phaseout and there was no bases on the draft they presented,” Yu told Cebu Daily News.

Piston Cebu earlier announced that they are joining the “Tigil Pasada” with 700 members that might affect public transportation on Monday.

Meanwhile, Bianito Dagatan, division superintendent for Cebu City, said that classes in Cebu City will go on.

“The Cebu City government will deploy buses as early as 5 a.m. Most of our public students are just walking to and from schools,” Dagatan said in a text message to Cebu Daily News.

Students who will be late because of affected public transportation will be given consideration.

“For private schools, they have their own internal policy when it comes to situation like this. This is our advisory to schools,” Dagatan added.

Yu said that it was agreed during the meeting for a mutual respect between Citrasco and drivers’ groups.

He said he already warned his jeepney drivers under Citrasco not to join the rally.

“Those who would join from Citrasco will be investigated,” Yu said.