ARTICLE - GENERAL TRANSPORT STRIKE - MONDAY

HAITI - TRANSPORT: GENERAL TRANSPORT STRIKE FOR 24 HOURS...
(HaitiLibre) -

Alexis Enock President of the Confederation of Workers in Public and Private Sectors (CSTP), which has over 6,500 members, has told the local media that the workers in the transport sector in Haiti, are "not ready" to assume an increase in fuel prices. "We are asking the state to reconsider its decision" saying that the transport unions do not support the increase, as stated by the Minister of Economy and Finance, Ronald Beaudin.

Enock Alexis reported that during a meeting at the Directorate-General of the Ministry of Social Affairs, the members of the Union have signed their refusal to increase the cost of transportation. Deploring this "arbitrary" measure that the population living in poverty, can not cope with.

Nevertheless, following these fuel increases and despite the assertions of the President of CSTP, public transport prices have increased by 25% or even 50% on some lines, causing tension between users and drivers...

Union leaders request the Government to reconsider and avoid variations in the cost of gasoline at the approach of the installation of the new Government, in April.

Several unions including the Association of Owners and Drivers of Haiti (APCH) and the Federation of Haitian Public Carriers (FTPH) have launched a demand for a general strike, in protest. They are calling on the population to take the streets to prevent the movement of all vehicles from Monday morning to Tuesday morning...

For its part, the UN Mission for Stabilization in Haiti (Minustah) said on Sunday, that they have prepared a plan to prevent violent clashes...

Reminder on the increase in petroleum products :

Gasoline 95 (octane index) increased from 196 gourds to 200 gourds (+2%),

Gasoline 91 increased from 172 gourds to 191 gourds (+11%).

Diesel increased from 119 gourds to 162 gourds (+36%) and

Kerosene increased from 112 gourds to 161 gourds (+43 %)