UST HAS denied allegations of unfair labor practices and stagnant faculty salaries as it reiterated its commitment to allocate the faculty members’ tuition hike shares and to engage in “good faith” negotiations to attain a fair collective bargaining agreement (CBA).
In a statement released on March 13, the University said it has consistently distributed the legally mandated portion of tuition increases to its workers in compliance with Republic Act (RA) 6728 and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Memorandum Order No. 8, Series of 2012.
“The University strongly refutes any claims of unfair labor practices. We value our academic staff and continue to negotiate in good faith to reach a CBA that is just, sustainable, and aligned with both faculty welfare and the long-term stability of the institution,” it said on a Facebook post.
UST explained that P220 million or 89% of the total tuition hike shares, which includes collections from academic years (AY) 2021-2022 and 2023-2024 and those remaining from the previous CBA cycle from 2020-2021, was already distributed to the faculty as of the latest negotiation meeting on Feb. 28. The remaining P26 million or 11% was derived from the tuition hike AY 2023-2024, when the University requested a 6% tuition increase to implement salary and rank upgrades.
“We urge all stakeholders to approach these discussions with fairness, responsibility, and a commitment to the shared goal of upholding academic excellence,” the University said.
The statement came two days after the UST Faculty Union announced that the majority of its members voted to declare a deadlock and rejected the administration’s final offers for salary and rank upgrades and other benefits.
One of the major proposals that were rejected by faculty members involved the allocation for the tertiary rank and senior high school salary upgrades, which the administration lobbied to slash to P17 million from the original P26 million.
The total salary increase for all academic staff, the University clarified, is equivalent to 8.489%, coupled with upgrades and new benefits, which will serve as backpays effective Aug. 1, 2020.
In an earlier memorandum, UST management panel chief Prof. Cheryl Peralta denied that senior high school academic staff only received a n P11 pay raise, saying all faculty members will profit from the CBA’s agreed-upon pay and rank increases.
“Any approved salary restructuring for SHS academic staff will be [in addition to] the 8.489% salary increase and benefits improvement from AY 2020-2021 to AY 2023-2024 granted to all academic staff. The actual increase per unit will depend on the academic staff’s current rank, multiplied by the total teaching load,” she said in the memorandum dated March 10.
Private academic institutions are required to allocate 70% of their tuition hike to staff salaries, wages, allowance and other benefits as stated in the “Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education Act.”
On March 7, CHED ordered the University to answer claims that it had violated the distribution of tuition hike proceeds among its employees. The commission said t it would take “appropriate actions” if UST failed to explain itself within 15 days upon receiving the order. F — R. V. M.
