Today, PISTON marks its 43rd anniversary, reaffirming its commitment to the militant struggle for the rights and welfare of public transport workers and vowing to advance a progressive, people-centered, nationalized public transport system.
Over the past four decades, PISTON has stood at the forefront of uniting informal public transport workers, primarily jeepney drivers and operators, against the exploitative and oppressive schemes of the government, oil cartels, and corporations.
Established by Philippine labor center Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) in 1981 through the brave efforts of jeepney drivers and operators in Cubao, Quezon City after a successful strike against unjust rerouting and excessive license confiscations by the Marcos Sr. dictatorship, PISTON has become a nationwide federation and a relentless force in the Philippine transport workers’ movement.
However, the fight for social and economic justice is far from over. The Marcos Jr. regime and its political and business cohorts persist in repressive efforts to undermine the growing Filipino solidarity demanding a progressive, people-centered, nationalized public transport system.
Fittingly, as we commemorate our 43rd anniversary, the undeniable labor rights violations by the Duterte and Marcos Jr. regimes are currently being heard at the ongoing International Labour Conference (ILC) of the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Geneva, Switzerland. Among these violations is the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP), now known as the Public Transport Modernization Program (PTMP), which PISTON filed as a violation of transport workers’ right to freedom of association before the ILO High-Level Tripartite Mission in the Philippines in January 2023.
Now, 43 years into the struggle, we reaffirm our commitment to the principles of genuine, militant, and patriotic solidarity across the transport sector in defending our public transport, fighting for every transport worker’s rights, and forging a truly free and just society for all oppressed classes.