Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Operator Nationwide (Solidarity of Drivers and Operators’ Organizations Nationwide) or PISTON is a federation of public transport groups and associations in the Philippines.
We have been uniting drivers and small operators of jeepneys, tricycles, UVEs, and other informal public transport workers in the entire country under a genuine, progressive, patriotic, and anti-imperialist federation since 1981.
In PISTON, we aim to promote and advance the basic demands of Filipino transport workers for decent and stable work, livable income, freedom of association, and all their economic and democratic rights.
We raise the political and class consciousness of transport workers through the vigorous and systematic promotion of national democratic education. We also unite and participate in advancing the demands and struggles of the rest of the working class, peasants, and other fellow poor, oppressed, and exploited by the ruling classes in the Philippines.
We work together and build alliances with other federations of transport workers and other democratic groups globally, not only to advance our rights and demands but also to contribute to the broad anti-imperialist struggle of workers and people all over the world.
Internationally, PISTON is an affiliate of the International Transport Workers’ Federation and a member organization of the International League of Peoples’ Struggle.
We firmly believe that…
- The Filipino people, including transport workers, are exploited and oppressed in the current semi-colonial and semi-feudal Philippine society.
- The majority of small-capacity transport workers belong to the semi-proletariat working people, a group of different sectors of the Philippine society who are often informal workers with limited or no sources of livelihood due to the regressive and underdeveloped industries in the country.
- Every citizen has the right to stable and adequate work, regular and livable income, safe working conditions, adequate housing, honest and people-oriented government services, and to organize and wage strikes and other forms of collective action needed to achieve just compensations for their labor and rendered services.
- The problems, issues, and demands of any sector of society can be addressed through conscious analysis, collective action, class struggle, and strict unity with other progressive, democratic individuals, groups, classes, and sectors in society.
- The struggle of transport workers is integrated with the struggles of other working people, urban poor, peasants, and other progressive and democratic classes and sectors in Philippine society advancing the national democratic struggle.
- In order to effectively combat the global exploitation and oppression rampant in all parts of the world, it is necessary to unite all transport workers with the rest of the oppressed people from different countries all over the world.
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