EDITORIAL - Strike for hypocrisy

Jeepney drivers in Cebu are set to join a nationwide strike next week in protest against a new policy increasing penalties for traffic violations. In addition, they will not be plying their routes this morning to attend a public forum at City Hall where they are expected to voice their opposition to the policy.

Drivers can go on strike anytime they wish. This is, after all, a free country. But a strike is not the solution to the problem at hand. If the problem is higher penalties for traffic violations, then obviously the solution is to avoid committing traffic violations in order to avoid penalties.

Ironically, a big part of that problem happens to be the jeepney drivers themselves. Among all drivers of every type of vehicle, jeepney drivers are among the most notorious violators of traffic rules. The drivers can check this out themselves. So how bloody silly can anyone get?

But, again, as this is a free country, jeepney drivers can go on strike if they want to. We can even give them some advice regarding the issue. They should not stop with a one-day or two-day strike. They should strike for a month, or for how long it is going to take for government to give in to their demands.

Who do the drivers think they are kidding? Do they think they can really bring the government to its knees by striking for one day, or even two days? Any strike that does not achieve the objective of lowering the penalties back to their old levels is nothing but a failure.

The trouble is, when a strike fails, it is not only the drivers who lose. Everybody does. Workers fail to work, children miss classes, smalltime vendors do not make enough sales. Meanwhile the government will not budge, and the rich do not care about the inconvenience. They might even welcome the unexpected holidays.

In other countries where drivers have a clear understanding of the objective and how to get it, they are prepared to go on strike for months. They are able to do that because they stand on very strong principles and are likely to gain wider public understanding and support. People actually feed the strikers.

Here the drivers have absolutely no principled leg to stand on. And so, instead of public understanding and support, striking drivers get nothing but disdain and condemnation. How can anyone support demands to lower traffic fines when those making the demand are themselves greatest violators of traffic regulations.