Laid-off school workers stage a strike

SOME 22 striking workers under the General Service Office (GSO) of the University of San Carlos (USC) blocked the gate of the Talamban campus, preventing students and visitors from entering.

They consisted of plumbers, carpenters, a painter and an electrician who claimed they were forced to resign without a valid reason.

They are members of the USC GSO Employees Union, which accused the school of union-busting for abolishing their department in the guise of trimming expenses.

Fr. Ernesto Lagura, SVD, USC spokesperson, told reporters yesterday they are open to negotiate the amount they will give the laid-off workers, but they are firm in their decision to shut down the GSO.

Outsourcing

He said theyve done everything to settle the matter.

Lagura said the school prefers hiring an agency to provide them with carpenters, plumbers and electricians because they can save this way.

The school, in a press statement sent to Sun.Star Cebu, said they decided to cut costs due to the implementation of the K-12 system.

With the implementation of the K-12 system, we have anticipated a big drop in college enrollment by academic years 2016-17 and 2017-18 with the entry of Grades 11 and 12 in senior high school. We also expect that only a few will pursue college studies by school year 2018-19, the school said.

Despite this decision, we have granted all affected GSO personnel a reasonable offer that is much more than what is required by our labor laws. In fact, 61 of the 77 personnel have accepted the separation benefits. Only 15 union members and another one remain to have refused our offer, it added.

Read more:
Laid-off school workers stage a strike