UST labor unions eye court case over Manila LGU health requirement

Labor unions of the University of Santo Tomas (UST) are thinking of filing a court case over a Manila ordinance requiring all workers to secure a health certificate.

City Ordinance No. 8793 mandates that all workers in Manila must undergo medical examinations such as chest x-ray and drug test to obtain the health certificate.  

It was enacted in December 2021 and implemented by UST in 2024.

The UST employee unions—composed of the University of Santo Tomas Faculty Union (ONE-UST), the Ugnayan ng mga Nagkakaisang Manggagawa ng University of Santo Tomas Hospital (UNM-USTH), and the Samahan ng mga Manggagawa sa UST (SM-UST)—said 1,000 UST faculty members might not be allowed to teach this semester for non-compliance with the ordinance.

Workers pay about P600 annually to obtain a health certificate in the Manila City Health Office while establishments that fail to comply with the ordinance will be fined from P3,000 to P5,000.

The unions  condemned what it alleged as the “selective” implementation of the ordinance, saying other universities in Manila have not required that their employees get a health certificate.

“Our concern remains that UST workers may be left to seek justice in court independently. We cannot allow our faculty members to become sacrificial lambs to an unfair and unjust ordinance,” ONE-UST said.

“Simultaneously, we are exploring ways to engage with the City Council of Manila, urging them to review and suspend the ordinance's implementation for educational institutions in the meantime,” it added.

Hundreds of UST employees will hold a prayer rally on Friday, August 9, in protest against the ordinance.

LGU open to talks

In an interview, Manila Health Department Sanitation Division Chief Manny Taguba said they are open to dialogue with the UST labor unions.

“Bukas po ang Manila Health Department sa anumang dialogo para ito po ay mapag-usapan at malinawan ang ating mga manggagawa. Kung anong assistance ang gusto ipo-provide, baka lang po may hindi pagkakaunawana sa PD 856 at sa Manila Ordinance 8793,” Taguba told GMA News Online.

(The Manila Health Department is open to any dialogue to discuss and clarify some issues with our workers. Maybe we can provide assistance if there is any misunderstanding about PD 856 and Manila Ordinance 8793.)

Presidential Decree 856 is the Sanitation Code of the Philippines. Under the Sanitation Code, one of the requirements for an establishment to acquire a sanitary permit is to secure its employees’ health certificates.

The health certificates can be obtained through a local city health office.

Taguba also said schools such as the Technological Institute of the Philippines, the National University Manila, and even public schools have implemented the ordinance.

UST earlier expressed its commitment to “meet the requirements of the laws and policies of regulatory agencies, including ordinances from the Manila city government.

“The University ensures the implementation of relevant measures to achieve timely compliance alongside ongoing dialogues with our stakeholders,” UST said Wednesday in a statement.

However, ONE-UST said they have yet to receive a notice from UST officials regarding their dialogue. — BM, GMA Integrated News