The University of the Philippines (UP) administration responded to All UP Workers Union’s (AUPWU) request for higher economic benefits with a counterproposal that falls P8,000 short of the union’s demand.
The union requested an increase of P6,000 in their Annual Incentive Grant (AIG), P3,000 in grocery allowance, and P2,000 in rice subsidy, but UP only offered an additional P1,000 for each item.
AUPWU submitted their economic benefits request to UP President Angelo Jimenez at the start of August but they only responded last Oct. 22 during the Union-Management Consultative Body (UMCB) meeting.
Present in the meeting were the Management Panel headed by the UP Vice President for Administration Dr. Augustus Resurrection and the Union panel headed by AUPWU’s president Jossel Ebesate.
Currently, administrative workers in UP receive a P14,000 AIG, a P9,000 grocery allowance, and a P10,000 rice subsidy.
Following the administration’s counterproposal, AUPWU responded with a revised offer: reducing their previous request for the AIG by P3,000 while retaining their original demands for other benefits.
Ebesate said the union submitted the economic benefits proposal due to the higher daily expenses.
“There is a realization among us na ‘yung salary ng mga employees ay hindi sapat doon sa tinatawag na cost of living,” Ebesate said.
He added that they receive benefits from the government but these remain inefficient to fill the gap between the workers’ take-home pay and cost of living.
An IBON Foundation study shows that as of September 2024, a family of five living in the National Capital Region should have at least P1,206 per day to live decently.
The study further revealed that families spend an average of P13,729 per month on food, which accounts for the largest share of their expenses.
Even though UP President Jimenez is a labor lawyer, none of his 10 Flagship Programs presented during UP’s 116th Foundation Day on June 18 address the needs of administrative workers.
Ebesate said that UP must fulfill the needs of administrative staff in addition to those of faculty members and research development workers.
“Kung mayroon kang programa sa faculty, dapat mayroon ka rin sa REPS [Research, Extension and Professional Staff], mayroon ka rin sa admin. Hindi naman nating sinasabi na pantayin mo ‘yan pero at least, mayroon tayong nakikita na pagbabago at pag-angat nung ating mga batayang administrative employees,” Ebesate said.
The two parties are set to meet again tomorrow, Nov. 5 to agree upon the presented counterproposal and counteroffer.
