In an extraordinary session, held on Tuesday afternoon (25), the University Council unanimously approved the institution of meal vouchers for Unicamp employees. The benefit will be offered to around 8,5 active employees, with a value of R$36,00, and will come into effect on May 1st.
The employee must also participate in the cost of the benefit and, as a result, will receive a discount corresponding to 5% of the total received in the month. This amount will be deducted from the payroll.
The original project provided for a contribution from the server at a rate of 20%. With the change, the contribution to be made by the University will increase from R$ 28,80, from the original proposal, to R$ 34,20.
According to the Council's decision, meal vouchers will be granted per day actually worked for active employees working 24 hours or more per week.
“This project benefits the entire community, but especially those who earn less”, said the dean of University Development, Fernando Sarti. “If we combine the meal voucher with the food voucher, we will arrive at a value of around R$2,1, which represents practically 50% of the lowest entry salary at the University, which is around R$4. ”, argues the pro-rector, referring to mid-level civil servants working 40 hours a week.
The Council also approved the Rectory's proposal to allocate the equivalent of the employees' contribution to the cost of benefits, to programs of the Early Childhood and Complementary Education Division (Dedic) and the School of Corporate Education (Educorp).
“The resources to be allocated to these two bodies will come from the University’s budget. It will not be a direct transfer of the value of the employee's contribution”, explained the dean of Unicamp. “This is an equivalent amount, which will come from the University’s annual budget,” he stated.
First working day of work
The meal voucher will be credited on the first business day of the month of use. Any deductions resulting from absences from work must occur in the following month.
Absences and absences of employees on vacation will be deducted from the days on which the benefit is granted; absences paid or not; maternity leave, paternity leave, adoption leave, bonus leave, medical leave for health treatment, absence due to an accident at work, leave to serve as director in an association of technical-administrative and teaching staff — except STU (Union of Unicamp Workers) and Adunicamp (Unicamp Teachers Association) —, sabbatical leave and other absences that result in a day not worked.
The server who receives the meal voucher will not be entitled to subsidized amounts for use of the University Restaurant System, and may have access to the system upon payment of the cost of the meal charged by the University.
The chief of staff, Paulo César Montagner, explained that the benefit will be valid from May 1st, but payment may occur after that, as, according to him, it still depends on the completion of the bidding process. If the details are not resolved before May 1, the amount will be paid retroactively, he assured.
The chief of staff said that Consu's decision is the result of extensive negotiation on the part of the Rectory and intense work by bodies such as the General Directorate of Human Resources (DGRH), the Economics and Planning Advisory (Aeplan), Social Benefits Management Group (GGBS), General Administration Directorate (DGA), Board of Directors Administration Executive (DEA), Attorney General (PG) and General Secretariat (SG). “There were many hours of work by employees from all these bodies, which resulted in the formulation of the proposal now presented to Consu”, said Montagner.
The general coordinator of the University, professor Maria Luiza Moretti, said that the benefit “brings an immense benefit to the academic community”. To saySTU editor, Gabriela Barros Gonçalves, celebrated the Council's decision to grant meal vouchers. “This is a historic victory,” she said.
