The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) brazenly suppressed Centro Escolar University (CEU) teachers’ and employees’ right to strike when it issued an “assumption of jurisdiction” or AJ on January 13. The CEU Faculty and Allied Workers Union (FAWU) led and set to begin the strike that day after negotiations for the 2025–2030 collective bargaining agreement (CBA) reached a deadlock.

The AJ prohibited the strike and ordered teachers and employees to return to work. Those who defy the DOLE order may face dismissal, criminal charges, or outright repression, including the violent dispersal of their strike by police and military forces.

The CEU FAWU strongly condemned the DOLE for issuing the AJ. In response, the union called on its members in the Manila, Makati, and Malolos campuses to join daily collective actions in the form of a prayer vigil at CEU Manila. “We will continue the struggle despite the DOLE-imposed AJ,” the union declared.

The Center for Trade Union and Human Rights (CTUHR) condemned the DOLE and its secretary Bienvenido Laguesma for issuing the AJ. “How can workers effectively fight for their labor rights if the strike, one of their most potent weapons for advancing their rights, is always thwarted by the government?” the CTUHR stated.

The group reiterated its demand to junk the DOLE secretary’s power to assume jurisdiction over labor disputes. It said this power is excessively broad, curtails workers’ right to strike, and weakens their collective bargaining rights against the capitalist.

A just demand

In the CBA negotiations, CEU FAWU pushed for a ₱2,500 salary increase, a health card, retirement benefits, a signing bonus, higher financial aid for calamities, emergency financial assistance, and other benefits for teachers and staff. Conversely, the university administration offered only a ₱650 across-the-board increase and minimal benefits during the last meeting on January 12.

The CEU administration and the union had already reached a deadlock in negotiations as early as September 2025. This prompted the union to file a Notice of Strike with the National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB) in October 2025. In December 2025, 368 union members voted in favor of striking.

“Despite the clear and just stance of union members, the administration remains deaf to the legitimate grievances of CEU’s teachers and personnel,” FAWU stated. It added that the administration’s refusal to offer any concrete proposal clearly disregards the sacrifices, dedication, and continued service of CEU teachers and employees to the university and its students.

Union and CEU administration representatives are set to meet again on January 19 at the DOLE national office in Intramuros, Manila.

CTUHR called on the CEU administration to respect the rights of its teachers and employees. “CEU has a responsibility to advance the labor rights of its faculty and staff, for its students and for improving college education in general,” the group said.