MONTHS AFTER teachers’ repeated calls for the UST management to release their legally mandated tuition hike proceeds, the administration finally agreed to distribute a portion of their shares on or before May 20.
The University confirmed that it is “ready and willing” to provide the amount, which has been recalculated to P27.8 million from the original P26.44 million, for academic year 2020-2021.
“While the amount is now part of the ongoing negotiations, the University, as a gesture of good faith and continued support for its academic staff, agrees to release the [P]27.8 million,” UST said in a statement released on Monday, April 28.
“This decision is in accordance with established practices and mutual agreement between the negotiating parties,” it added.
Of the total amount, P6 million will be set aside for hospitalization benefits and P21.8 million will be allocated for salary increases upon the request of the UST Faculty Union (USTFU).
“Thus, the P27.8 million has been integrated into the distribution framework being developed in the current CBA (collective bargaining agreement) negotiations, thereby making the release of these funds contingent upon the ratification of the new agreement,” UST said.
The Dominican-run institution said it remains committed to negotiating in “good faith” for a “mutually beneficial and sustainable” bargaining to resolve the deadlock.
In numerous instances, the University had stood firm in rejecting the union’s request to release the faculty’s shares without the ratification of a CBA because of alleged legal risks and compliance issues. It also kept reiterating that the immediate distribution of the 70% tuition hike shares upon its collection is not mandated under national law.
Another meeting facilitated by the labor department’s mediation board will take place on Tuesday, April 29.
For the next meeting, USTFU requested that final counter-proposals and supporting documents be formalized by the management panel to back its offers.
Unreleased shares of teaching staff from past academic years amounted to P51.45 million in 2021-2022; P63.22 million in 2022-2023; and P104.68 million in 2023-2024.
Items that remain unresolved in the talks between the faculty union and the UST management include the funding source for the senior high school faculty’s salary restructuring and rank upgrades worth P26 million and the 100% hospitalization benefits. But for USTFU, its requests for a Christmas bonus raise, increase in non-teaching vacation leaves, unused sick leave extension and junior high school teachers’ compensatory time-off, also remain pending.
The faculty union lodged a strike notice in March after a deadlock declaration in CBA negotiations. It previously said a strike may be staged as early as May 2 if the impasse remains unresolved. F
