THE UNIVERSITY of Santo Tomas Faculty Union (USTFU) has formally requested a renegotiation of the economic provisions of its salary and benefits deal with the administration.
USTFU President Emerito Gonzales sent a letter to the Office of the Vice Rector for Academic Affairs (OVRAA) requesting a meeting with the management panel for collective bargaining agreement (CBA) talks on Nov. 21.
“There, we shall present the items we deem necessary to be discussed in detail in this re-negotiation,” Gonzales said in his Nov. 7 letter to Prof. Cheryl Peralta, the vice rector for academic affairs.
Under the Labor Code, the economic provisions of the existing 2021-2026 CBA, including wages and benefits, are subject to mandatory renegotiation.
The University allocated P246 million for faculty compensation and benefits, including an 8.489% salary increase retroactive to Aug.1, 2020, under the CBA.
READ HERE: UST vows to release P246 million to faculty under bargaining deal
In October, UST faculty and staff began receiving their share of interest earnings from P220 million in tuition increases collected between Academic Years 2020 and 2024.
READ HERE: Faculty, staff set to get share in interest earnings of tuition hikes since 2020
The 2021-2026 CBA was ratified by the faculty in June after more than a year of negotiations and mediation by the Department of Labor and Employment.
READ HERE: UST faculty to receive 100% hospitalization coverage under new salary, benefits deal
The USTFU, which represents over 1,500 members, also secured improved compensation and benefits for both permanent and non-tenured faculty.
Full-time faculty members were given 100% hospitalization coverage through the Pope Francis Hospitalization and Medical Benefit Fund.
Union and management deferred the discussion of the P10.5 million salary restructuring fund for Senior High School faculty members as part of a compromise to end a deadlock in talks.
The Varsitarian sought comments from OVRAA on USTFU’s request, but has yet to receive a response as of posting time.
