Saturday, October 28, 2006 Teachers wary of new salary law
PUBLIC school teachers expressed worries to the proposed Government Classification and Compensation Act of 2006 (GCCA) or the Salary Standardization Law 3.
The bill provides a new standardized pay and merit system to the government employees thereby repealing the existing laws on matters of salary schedules, incentives and other compensation to the government employees.
"We are in constant communication with the DepEd (Department of Education) and the House Committee on Appropriations lobbying for an increase in pay through upgrading of teacher positions under the Salary Standardization Law (RA 6758). But we are not fully aware on the content of this bill," said Benjo Basas, chairperson of Teachers Dignity Coalition.
Basas said even public tutors welcomed the proposed increase, which no less than Secretary Jesli Lapus of DepEd publicly pronounced.
"We are in almost the same position as we were in 1989, during the enactment of RA 6758, which gave the teachers increase in basic salary but subsequently integrating other allowances specifically Cost of Living Allowance (Cola)," he said.
Government employees, including teachers, have been filing petitions in the Supreme Court for the repayment of their Cola since 1989.
"Our doubts only validated when the Civil Service Commission (CSC) issued a memorandum disseminating GCCA posters and signature forms to all government offices and public schools. They did not provide any explanation, yet they want us to sign the form in support of the GCCA," Basas said.
Basas compared the CSC's conduct of gathering signatures to that of Sigaw ng Bayan, which filed the petition for Charter change through people's initiative dismissed by the high court recently.
"We found out that the bill is giving so much power to the Department of Budget and Management and the CSC in almost entire implementation of the measures under the proposed law. The more that we have to be wary because these agencies are known for ruling in the questionable provisions of Magna Carta and SSL not in the teachers favor," he said.
Teachers Dignity Coalition warned the teachers to be vigilant and examine first the content of the document before giving their signature.
"We do not want another mess like that of the Cola. But with such power given to these agencies, we are not sure of our fate under the GCCA," Basas concluded.
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