Dumaguete City — The Silliman University Faculty Association (SUFA), a legitimate labor organization recognized as the sole bargaining representative of the school’s academic personnel, on Thursday filed a notice of strike on the grounds of unfair labor practice.
SUFA president Jonathan Mark Te told Manila Standard that they came to such a decision after the university failed to attend the preventive mediation session called on July 2 in Cebu City by the National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB) Regional Branch VII.
This required the presence and cooperation of both parties for the early settlement of the preventive mediation case that SUFA filed against the Siliman University administration on June 24.
SUFA vice president professor Karl Villarmea said they traveled to Cebu City for the said conference only to learn that the administration will not join since they reportedly filed a letter to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to execute their motion for the assumption of jurisdiction.
According to Villarmea, the administration has repeatedly been violating its duty to bargain collectively and negotiating in bad faith. He clarified that the preventive mediation case concerns the administration’s refusal to comply with the June 5 order issued by DOLE.
The Labor Department earlier approved the union’s demands, granting across-the-board salary increases of P1,400 in 2024 and P1,600 in 2025, as well as a signing bonus of P10,000 in total. It also affirmed SUFA’s role in asserting fairness and demonstrated Siliman University’s capacity to pay.
Meanwhile, the issue of a 70-percent tuition fee increase for allocation to salaries, wages, allowances, and other benefits for teaching and non-teaching personnel remains pending as the Labor Secretary allegedly ignored this policy as mandated by Republic Act 6728, instead deferring it to the “management prerogative.”
Notwithstanding, Villarmea recalled that they agreed to prepare the draft for the execution of DOLE’s decision, which the administration reportedly agreed to sign.
The administration negotiating panel, however, retracted their intention to sign the draft agreement on the agreed signing date on June 23. It was this that prompted the SUFA to request preventive mediation with the NCMB set for July 2 in Cebu.
“It is very unsettling that administration representatives did not show up in the said NCMB conference. This unfortunate development has continued to delay the signing of the 2024-2026 supplemental agreement, which has also deprived us of the improvements of our benefits and most especially our salary increases,” Villarmea said.
Te and Villarmea have since informed the general membership of SUFA that the officers agreed to file a notice of strike as their best course of action to address the administration’s supposed unfair labor practice and negotiating in bad faith.
The Siliman University administration could not be reached for comment as of publishing time, despite efforts to hear out their side.
Villarmea said that they will begin the preparations for the general strike vote, confident that they will get the support of the majority.
