THE UST management has vowed to consult with its principal on the “overdue” P26.84 million tuition hike share from academic year 2020-2021, the UST Faculty Union (USTFU) said.
In a report on the third conciliation-mediation meeting, USTFU said the amount should have already been released in compliance with Section 26.6 of the 2016-2021 collective bargaining agreement (CBA), which states that “any undistributed excess amount coming from the tuition fee increase of a particular academic year shall be distributed in the next academic year.”
After a nearly month-long series of dialogues under the labor department, both parties have yet to fully settle their differences, with the administration still arguing that the immediate release of faculty funds could not be fulfilled without a finalized CBA.
“The USTFU Panel reaffirmed that the release of the P220 million—or the full P246 million—is not a matter for negotiation, but a compliance issue and a test of good faith on the part of UST Management,” the faculty union said in the report released on April 19.
“Management committed to consulting with [its] principal on the P26.84 million overdue since [academic year] 2020-2021 under Section 26.6,” it added.
The faculty union said the University has agreed to offer a revised calculation of the proceeds from academic year 2023-2024, which currently stands at P104.68 million.
The tuition hike collection of faculty members from other academic years amounted to P51.45 million in 2021-2022 and P63.22 million in 2022-2023. The total figure of P246.18 million may change upon verification from the 2016-2021 CBA, the faculty union said.
“As early as October 2024, the USTFU Panel formally demanded the release of P220 million, even as negotiations continued on the P26 million salary upgrade and faculty restructuring. UST administration had already acknowledged the agreed allocation of the P220 million,” USTFU said.
The University management and faculty union agreed to reconvene on Thursday, April 24.
Strike vote?
As the fourth conciliation-mediation meeting coincides with the faculty union’s earliest possible strike vote, the USTFU panel said the conduct of work stoppages would depend on the management’s “fair” and mindful response to the ongoing labor dispute.
“A decision to proceed with such an action ultimately lies in the hands of our faculty members. However, it is also in the hands of the UST Administration—if they respond with fairness and heed our reasonable demands, then such a course may no longer be necessary,” it said.
USTFU previously released a tentative timeline of its next steps following the declaration of a deadlock on CBA negotiations. A strike could happen as early as May 2 if most of its members say “yes” in a strike vote.
“Whether the April 24 meeting at the NCMB (National Conciliation and Mediation Board) will be the last in the conciliation process will depend on the outcome of that dialogue. We do not wish to pre-empt the proceedings. Our goal remains to resolve this impasse through good faith negotiations,” the faculty union panel said.
According to the faculty union, the UST management sought the intervention of the Department of Labor and Employment through a petition for an assumption of jurisdiction, which could counter the looming strike.
Three CBA items have already been settled in the past meetings, namely the P2,000 benefit per term in the National Service Training Program, reduction of emergency loan interest from 6% to 4% and the faculty’s 11th and 12th month pay, which is expected to be renegotiated in June.
Among USTFU’s unresolved proposals are full hospitalization benefits, the sourcing of the P26 million rank upgrade and salary restructuring from UST’s treasury and “genuine” longevity pay. F
