Nat’l Transport workers protest route changes
And while the press conference was occurring inside the Raccoon Police Station, the mood outside was feisty. Over two hundred conductors, bus-drivers and their family members employed by the Novelo owned National Transport protested the new regulations. The Novelo brothers claim they stand to loose millions in their controversial thirty million dollar investment and that there is clear conflict of interest in the appointment of two board members.
Philip Jones, Operations Mgr., National Transport
“The minister says he will be zoning and if he zones, we will have over two hundred and add employees out of a job.”
Duane Moody
“What is the possibility of anything from this meeting being in your favour?”
Phillip Jones
“Well, the minister state on the talk show, and I believe it was on Wednesday, that there will be no National Transportation Service in the country, so basically the west and the north will be cut off and some other area that National have been providing for many years, decades that has passed and by them taking away runs from national, we had major investments that we had made with the company. We have a lot of human resource that will be basically no livelihood being provided for them because that is automatic. As long as they cut away the runs we have no use for the employees and that will be over two hundred employees that will be affected. We as the bigger company have been struggling for many years and we have believed that it is personal. It is something that they have against the company, probably because of the rumours and the endeavor that the company had made with the different banking institutions.”
Francisco Flores, Service Advisor, National Transport
“Today, I am out here with my fellow people who have their family and they are working so hard to maintain their family at home and the bus industry is getting outta hand and we need to get this straight. There are so many mouths to feed and so many people that are employed under this company. So that’s why we are out here we are fighting for the purpose. We need to get this thing straight. People need to travel on the road safely and they need to know that Novelo’s bus have the best adequate buses on the road.”
Duane Moody
“If you lose your job, what would that mean for your family—for yourself and your family?”
Francis Flores
“Well I know there are many jobs, but it’s a matter of getting one.”
Duane Moody
“Why are you out here today?”
Driver, National Transport
“Because I have to fight for mi family, bredda. Like house the placard seh I got mouths fi feed. I got watch a. I am a single pa. Especially my, I got two grand-pickney, they pa dead and they inna fi we care. So why you think I wouldn’t fight fi mek I get this lee job mein. Cause this da the only job I got. My wife da wahn house wife, alright. All my kids, they depend pan me. So why you think I wouldn’t fight for this job mi bredda? I got to do it because job haad out ya.”
Rose Thomas
“I am asking on the government to please help us. I am a United Democratic Party campaigner for years and this is my job now. Why take away the food from my kids’ mouth.”
Duane Moody
“Don’t take our jobs! What does this mean?”
Rose Thomas
“This means that if they take away the runs from Novelo’s what will we do? Where will all the three hundred and add people work? Will the government give us job? What will they do for us? I have five kids, I am a single mother and they have jobs for us. Who else will ever help me? What is the government doing with us?”
