EMPLOYEE unions at UST have requested Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna to allow another month-long deferment of the health permit deadline initially set for tomorrow, July 31, citing the “extraordinary circumstances” brought about by typhoon “Carina.”
In a July 26 letter, the labor unions, under the umbrella group Organisasyon ng Nagkakaisang Empleyado ng UST (ONE-UST), said a “substantial number” of employees had yet to comply due to the heavy rains and flooding last week.
ONE-UST is the coalition of the UST Faculty Union (USTFU), Samahang Manggagawa ng UST (SM-UST), and the Ugnayan ng Nagkakaisang Manggagawa ng UST Hospital (UNM-UST).
“Many of our workers are still facing significant challenges. Consequently, a substantial number of our members have been unable to comply with the health permit requirements within the extended timeframe,” the letter read.
“Given these extraordinary circumstances, we respectfully request an additional extension of the deadline to August 31, 2024,” it said.
“This will allow our workers the necessary time to recover from the effects of the typhoon and fulfill the health permit requirements.”
Metro Manila has been placed in a state of calamity because of the torrential rains, caused by Carina-intensified southwest monsoon, that brought knee-to-waist-deep flooding at UST on July 24.
Lacuna previously granted the request for a deadline extension to July 31 after the unions pointed to the “low turnout” of UST employees complying with the requirement in their first letter to the mayor.
The low turnout was attributed to the distance to the designated testing facility, the discomfort of collecting urine and stool samples in substandard public toilets, reluctance to mix with large crowds that might include sick individuals, and many teachers being in nearby provinces during the vacation period.
In the same letter, the UST unions suggested setting up a satellite office on the Sampaloc campus in España for specimen collection, testing, and fee payment, but this was turned down by the mayor.
The unions also sought a dialogue with Lacuna to discuss their concerns and “find the most effective solutions.”
“[W]e reiterate our previous request to utilize the facilities within (UST) for the collection and testing of specimens,” the latest letter read. “At a minimum, we kindly ask that a satellite laboratory be established at UST to facilitate the process.”
UST had urged its employees to ensure “full cooperation and genuine compliance” with the city mandate requiring workers to submit health certificates.
Failure to secure a permit could result in their MyUSTe accounts being locked, receiving formal notices to comply, and “other measures.”
