Ateneo employees go on strike

Employees and workers of the Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) have gone on strike following failed negotiations on a collective bargaining agreement (CBA).

In a statement on Wednesday, ADMU said the Ateneo Employees and Workers Union (AEWU) served a notice of strike on the university last Dec. 21.

The two parties are currently undergoing a 30-day “cooling off” period as mandated by law, according to the university.

In a separate statement, AEWU said they hit a deadlock during negotiations on major items in their CBA proposals for the years 2017 to 2019, particularly those involving employees’ wages.

The union said Ateneo stood by its proposed general increases of P210 per month and maximum merit increases of P900 per month for 2017 and 2018.

It noted that the proposal is below the P21 per day or P547 per month increase in minimum wage mandated by the government.

“Significantly, Ateneo has more than enough funds to give its organized rank and file just and reasonable increases in benefits,” said the union, citing Ateneo’s net income of P350 million in 2015, P382 million in 2016, and P415 million in 2017.

“While its initial proposals may seem high (compared to the increases during the last five CBAs), AEWU consistently stated that its positions are negotiable so long as a fair and equitable CBA is reached,” it added.

For its part, the university said it will not interfere with or restrain the union in the exercise of their right to self organization as long as their actions are within the bounds of law.