The press briefing of the Union of Bus Industry Workers (UBIW) on Tuesday 10 May denounced a “lack of vision” of the government for having opted to pass on this increase to the users. According to spokesperson Ashok Subron, “Transport could even have been free!”
“Deliberate hike”
Ashok Subron is outspoken about this “deliberate hike” of the government, “70% of the transport industry is publicly funded, there were different options to adopt such as readjusting the subsidies. This was not the only option of the government to counter the increase in fuel prices,” he revealed, adding that without this “lack of vision” of the government, “Transport could have even been free! Explaining himself, Ashok Subron pointed out, “We can’t give subsidies to landlords. Public subsidies must be used in a fair way. It is the public that is paying for this and why should this money go only to the owners? It is the workers who provide the services, it is to them that this money belongs.
Revision: Salary, conditions and pensions
The UBIW spokesperson also took the opportunity to appeal to the government about the situation of transport workers. The Union of Bus Industry Workers is asking the Minister of Transport, Alan Ganoo, for “a 25% wage increase for employees, since no review has been made since 2014, as well as consideration of a series of new measures to improve working conditions”. As for the retirement of employees, the UBIW demands “that the 15 days per year of service be increased to 30 days, i.e. the right to retire advanced to 55 years of age.”
The UBIW has given Minister Ganoo a 30-day deadline and maintains that “after these 30 days, if there is no return from the Minister, we will exercise our right to strike.
