Teachers, workers at Angeles University go on strike

TEACHERS and employees of Holy Angel University in Angeles City put up a tent outside the university campus as part of their strike to demand higher pay and benefits. TONETTE T. OREJAS/INQUIRER CENTRAL LUZON

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO—Members of Holy Angel University Teachers and Employees Union (Hauteu) in Angeles City went on strike on Thursday to demand increases in salaries and benefits following tuition rises in the last three years.

“[Staging a strike] is our ultimate remedy allowed by law. We have no other recourse. Our unity is what the management cannot match,” Edmond Maniago, Hauteu president, told the Inquirer by phone.

Holy Angel University (HAU), chaired by businessman Manuel V. Pangilinan, is one of the biggest universities in Central Luzon. The last strike that Hauteu held was in the 1980s.

Hauteu said both union members and nonmembers were entitled to 70 percent of tuition proceeds since 2010 as set by the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd).

In a statement, the Holy Angel University management said it was “saddened by the decision of its 380-member union to stage a strike despite the ongoing mediation efforts being assisted by the government’s labor department.”

It asked the students, parents and communities to “bear with us as we explore other ways to resolve this conflict and ensure that our services are not disrupted.”

HAU management asked the 500 HAU employees who are not members of Hauteu to “stand behind the university and not risk the stature and reputation it has achieved in the last few years.”

“We reiterate that the university has always complied with the provisions of the law regarding salary and benefits, as evidenced by successful CBA (collective bargaining agreement) negotiations in the past, issuance of certificates of compliance by the CHEd, and the undeniable fact that our employees and faculty enjoy competitive salaries and a package of benefits,” the statement said.

It was not yet known how the strike affected the classes of nearly 10,000 students but HAU main gate was open on Thursday to accept them. Tonette Orejas, Inquirer Central Luzon