UST teachers to walk off work over P220M in delayed backpay, benefits
MANILA, Philippines — The University of Santo Tomas Faculty Union on Tuesday declared a strike after failing to reach an agreement on salary wages and benefits for teachers.
The union filed a notice of strike with the Department of Labor and Employment's National Conciliation and Mediation Board following a deadlock in collective bargaining agreement negotiations for Academic Year 2021-2026. Such an agreement, called a CBA, serves between a mutually beneficial legal contract between an employer and a union representing employees covering aspects of employment.
The union, representing approximately 1,400 members, plans to begin the strike in May.
Union president Emerito Gonzales cited a four-year delay in backpay as a primary reason for the strike.
"The backpay, which totals around P220 million, is subject to a show cause order from CHED (Commission on Higher Education) asking the administration to explain why it has not been given to us," Gonzales told the media.
The union accused the university administration of violating Republic Act 6728, also known as the "Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education Act," and CHED Memorandum Order 8, series of 2012.
RA 6728 mandates that 70% of tuition fee increases must go toward salaries, wages, allowances, and other benefits for teaching and non-teaching personnel. The CHED order, meanwhile, further gives teeth to the law.
"Such withholding is unlawful, ethically wrong, and sets a dangerous precedent," the teachers' union stated.
UST officials countered that the show cause order did not imply wrongdoing, but rather required a written explanation to CHED.
Medical benefits dispute. Besides the backwages supposedly owed, staff medical benefits have remained unchanged since 1998.
"The Union is demanding a comprehensive HMO (health maintenance organization) plan or full hospitalization at UST Hospital. UST's offer—additional P50,000 to the original P100,000 a year in basic coverage and P200,000 for critical illness—falls below industry standards and has not been adjusted since 1998, despite a 192.49% inflation rate. Meanwhile, UST Hospital employees enjoy 100% hospitalization, and even their union supports equal benefits for faculty," the union said.
University response. The UST administration has allocated P220 million for teaching staff as part of the legally mandated 70% share in tuition fee increases from 2021 to 2024, according to student publication The Varsitarian. The university, however, argued it they cannot release the amount without a ratified bargaining agreement.
In response to the strike declaration, UST defended its position, saying it has supported the faculty in their research and studies as a supplement. "The University of Santo Tomas recognizes its academic staff as its most vital resource, essential to sustaining its tradition of excellence and fulfilling its vision as a leading Catholic institution of higher learning in the Asia-Pacific," UST said.
The administration added that it was balancing faculty needs with "institutional sustainability."
UST officials said the strike would not disrupt classes, promising to take necessary measures to maintain the academic schedule.
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