The Secretary of the Department of Labor & Employment has awarded teachers of Silliman University a pay raise totaling P3,000 for school years 2024-2025 and 2025-2026.
In a decision dated June 9, Labor Sec. Bienvenido Laguesma also ordered the University to pay a rice allowance for members of the SU Faculty Association amounting to P9,100 for school year 2024-2025, and P12,100 for school year 2025-2026, in addition to a P10,000 signing bonus.
The decision was made four months after it assumed jurisdiction over the labor dispute.
The SUFA, which has 309 members, had issued a Notice of Strike in November last year, and conducted a Strike Vote one month later, after accusing the Administration of bargaining in bad faith and bargaining deadlock on seven non-economic and 17 economic items in their Collective Bargaining Agreement.
The DoLE decision also affirmed some provisions of the CBA but left the other contentious provisions to both parties to settle between themselves.
But in a twist of events, the scheduled signing of the Supplemental CBA did not push through on June 23.
The Union accused the Administration panel of wanting to change some provisions in the draft agreement agreed on by both parties on June 18; while the Administration, on the other hand, accused SUFA of inserting a provision based on the Union interpretation.
In a statement, the SUFA said they have submitted the matter to the National Conciliation & Mediation Board for Preventive Mediation. (AP)
