TO ALL ICCTNIANS.. PLS READ To: Department of Labor and Employment Commission on Higher Education Bureau of Fire Protection Bureau of Internal Revenue Securities and Exchange Commission Subject: Some Violations of ICCT Colleges Foundations Inc. Date: 25 November 2014 Dear Sir/Ma’am; Good day. I would like to bring to your attention a very serious mater that I believe your offices need to be informed about to help you act in accordance to your office’s mandate about grievances against ICCT Colleges Foundation Incorporated. I also seek your help in behalf of the concerned ICCT Employees and Students about the listed issues stated below, to wit; Underpaid Professors. Majority of the faculty members receive below minimum salaries mandated by law ranging from Php 45.00 to 70.00 per hour rate, compared to other schools in the vicinity which pays from Php 90.00 to Php 120.00 per hour. No overtime pay and night shift differential pay. ICCT offers night classes to students up to 11:00 PM. The law states that any employee who renders his services should be given night shift differential pay if he works beyond 10:00 PM. ICCT doesn’t pay such to their professors assigned to teach up to 11:00 PM. Untransparent method of computing salary and other incentive pays. Beside the very late distribution of Payslips to its employees, the administration doesn’t provide comprehensive computation on how it arrives to the total amount of payment the employees receives especially with regards to the 13th month pay and incentive pays. Payment of 13th month pay beyond December 24 of the current year in violation of law. The school pays the 13th month pay of the employees in three installments, on November 20, December 26 and February the following year. Depriving Employee rights to Union. Since 1992 (the foundation of the school) there has been no Union to represent the body of employees and voice out the needs of these employees to the management. Incomprehensive compensation package and unclear compensation plan. The school doesn’t have comprehensive compensation plan on how they plan to increase the salaries of their employees which is very much important with regards to the economic condition at present. Also, in contrary of it being a foundation, the school earns very high income from tuition fees, which is increasing every year. The school should atleast consider this as basis to give consistent salary increase to their employees, especially to the professors who are the income generating force of the school. Majority if not all professors are not employed in regular status. Significant number of the professors have been employed in contractual basis, although majority of that number have been teaching in the school for atleast 3 years consecutively (part time or full time). Degrading treatment to Professional Educators by management. The school conducts seminars for professors but doesn’t issue certificates of attendance or participation. And when a professor requests certificate of employment for legal purposes (which is a right of any employee), the school is very reluctant to act on the request. Sometimes it takes months if not forever before the management issues such certifications. The Faculty uniform have not been change for the past 5 years which is poorly designed, closely resembling the uniforms of house maids and janitors. They are also closely monitored by checkers (too close) that every hour they are made to sign on attendance sheet as if they are prisoners which takes away the noble and dignified status of an educator. People, especially the students see their professors as role models and secondary parents, that’s why such methods are very much uncalled for and may bring negative impression to our professors. Unconducive workplace. The faculty room is very small, very crowded, lacks proper ventilation and safety features. There is also no personal workplace for individual professor. No designated table, no designated personal space which are very important for any person to work effectively. The whole faculty room has no sufficient cooling system, only four ceiling fan is installed for atleast 60 faculty members staying in the small faculty room at once. Unconducive learning environment. The classrooms are overcrowded. Forcing 50 to 60 students to fit in a room that can only cater 40 students. The rooms are very poorly ventilated with no ceiling fans installed (only slow moving propellers). The lighting is very low and some of the rooms are relatively dark and confined to places which are not suited to be place of assembly. Employing professors who are fresh graduates, without sufficient appropriate competency and credentials. The school employs professors who have just graduated from college, without any experience in teaching or sufficient credentials. Majority of the faculty members do not have professional license and/or Masters Degree (even units of Masteral course). They also assign professors to subjects which are unrelated to their line of studies (eg. An Economics graduate assigned to teach Mathematics subject). Departure from standard/ conventional method of teaching. Textbooks/reference books, lecture notes and photocopied materials are very essential tool for proper learning and serves as aid to professors for convenient teaching. However, professors are prohibited by the management to require textbooks/reference books. They are also prohibited to have quizzes and other lectures materials photocopied. Everything must be delivered through dictation which is inconvenient in the part of the professors and also makes it inefficient for students. Sub-standard quality education. Most schools render 5 months every semester, giving way for a 3 unit subject to be discussed for 60 hours per semester. In the contrary, ICCT Colleges only provides almost 36 hours of teaching hours for the same number of units per trimester which is insufficient for proper and standard learning. In effect, the students graduate from college unprepared academically and also emotionally because of lack of confidence due to insufficient time with school environment. Unsafe design of the entire school building. The main campus building itself is a fire hazard, having very stiff and narrow stairways, lack of / abstracted fire exits, lack of ventilation, lack of fire safety features and surrounded by illegal settlers and nightclubs. These issues posts threats to employees and students alike putting the lives and safety of these people in harms way. Inconsistent remittance of withholding tax, PAG-IBIG and SSS contributions of the employees. I pray your respected offices will look upon these issues and make necessary actions to correct these wrong practices and policies by the above named school. CONCERNED CITIZEN
Posted on: Tue, 09 Dec 2014 14:42:39 +0000