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Mediation

University Workers in the Philippines Prepare for Strike Amid Wage and Benefits Dispute

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

University workers from the University of Asia and the Pacific (UA and P) are set to embark on a strike after months of negotiations with management broke down over wage and benefits disputes. The UA and P Union of Faculty Members (UA and PUFM) and its Union of Allied Employees (UA and PUAE) have filed a notice of strike with the labor department's National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB), citing alleged unfair labor practices and the refusal of management to grant concessions required for mediation to proceed. The unions are pushing for reforms in the salary and promotion structure, health maintenance organization (HMO) coverage for dependents, medicine reimbursement, educational allowance, food allowance, and a union signing bonus.

Key Takeaways:

  • The strike is a result of a breakdown in collective bargaining negotiations between university management and the UA and PUFM, which began on May 7 and reached a deadlock on June 25.
  • The unions are seeking reforms in the salary and promotion structure, HMO coverage for dependents, medicine reimbursement, educational allowance, food allowance, and a union signing bonus.
  • The university's new work arrangement policy, which requires employees to report onsite for 5.5 days a week, has been criticized by the unions as adding financial strain on workers.
  • Management has refused to grant concessions required for mediation to proceed, citing the university's investments in physical capital.
  • UA and PUFM President Ferdinand Delos Reyes emphasized that the unions are not asking for the entire P400 million worth of investments to be spent on salary and benefits improvements, but rather for a portion of it to be allocated towards workers' welfare.

Statistics:

  • The university has P400 million worth of investments.
  • Employees currently receive P1,500 per quarter for rice allowance, which the unions are pushing to raise to P2,000 per month.
  • The new work arrangement policy, which requires employees to report onsite for 5.5 days a week, was announced on July 16 with little time to prepare.

Sources:

  • "UA and P workers file strike notice amid wage dispute," BusinessMirror, August 7, 2025.
  • Joint statement from the UA and PUFM and UA and PUAE, citing alleged unfair labor practices and refusal of management to grant concessions.
  • Interview with Ferdinand Delos Reyes, President of the UA and PUFM, with the BusinessMirror.

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