Some drivers and conductors of Ceres Liner buses staged a picket in Victorias City this morning, January 21, against management’s reduction of their trip allowances by half.
Vallacar Transit Inc. that operates the Ceres Liner buses, gave the trip allowance as an added incentive to the drivers and conductors, it is not part of salaries or their Collective Bargaining Agreement, Jade Seballos, VTI media relations officer, said.
VTI President Leo Rey Yanson had given the tripping allowance out of his own generosity, she said.
However, management has had to adopt cost-cutting measures since the bus firm has been operating at reduced passenger capacity in compliance with the COVID-19 social distancing rule, which has put a huge financial strain on its operations, she said.
She also said only about 40 percent of VTI’s nationwide operations have resumed since the pandemic started, and it has 18,000 employees to look after.
The trip allowances were cut by half at the start of the year to help keep the company afloat, but no legal violation was committed by such act, she said.
She said buses were deployed to serve the Victorias-Bacolod route commuters during the picket to ensure unhampered service.
The picket was illegal as the participants did not give prior notice to the Department of Labor and Employment, or seek the help of their union leaders for a dialog with management, she said.
The protesting drivers and conductors were asked to resume work, as the VTI management and representatives of their labor union will hold a dialog with them to listen to their concerns, Seballos said.*