University rectors win legal battle over stipend

DEMAND

The rector of the University of Azuay, Francisco Salgado, described the admission of the demand for unconstitutionality of the 345 ministerial agreement of 2019, published in the Official Register on May 2, which together with his peers from the Catholic University of Cuenca , Enrique Pozo, and the University of Cuenca, Pablo Vanegas, and supported by several unions related to the branch, of the country, raised the day 20 of the same month, in defense of the right to a fair stipend for the students of Sciences of the Medicine, which are part of the internship program.
Consequently, the stipend is now set at more than 500 dollars for all inmates who do their work in the different health homes. "We filed that lawsuit because it was an unconstitutional and regressive regulation of rights and discriminatory for the different careers contemplated in the contested agreement," said Salgado.
The judges of the Constitutional Court competent in their order of admission ran transfer to the ministers of health and labor, so that within a period of 15 days they act accordingly.
This September 3, the holders of the two State portfolios have resolved to reform the 345 2019 agreement and now establish economic recognition for the assistance activities of the students of the rotary boarding school, attached to the principles and constitutional rules, which in the practice means having accepted our demand, said Salgado, who offered a press conference on Friday with the two rectors of the other universities mentioned, which highlighted the achievements that can be achieved by the United University of Cuenca.
On his side, Pablo Vanegas recognized the work of the two lawyers and professors, Sebastián López and José Chalco, from whom they prepared the content of a lawsuit that, according to his criteria, was very well established in favor of the rights of the students, especially when they belong to the area of ​​medical sciences, a field that corresponds to the treatment of people's health and life.
The Association of Medical Faculties of Ecuador adhered to this joint demand of the rectors of the universities of Cuenca.
In his speech, the rector of the Catholic University of Cuenca, Enrique Pozo, expressed his satisfaction for the joint achievement that allows the recovery of social peace and the rule of law, by stepping back in a resolution that was harmful to rights of the students of Health Sciences.
In Cuenca, 420 students immersed in the internship program add up, and the challenge of the university authorities is to work in the search for new places so that future professionals can fulfill this step prior to their professionalization.

Stipends

* According to Article 11 of the interministerial agreement of the 2 of May. Same that was the subject of the unconstitutionality lawsuit, Medicine went down to 394 dollars; Nursing to 295 with 50 cents; Obstetrics to 394; and Nutrition to 197.
* With the reform of the 11 article of the interministerial agreement of the 2 of May, Medicine returns to 591 with 60 cents and the three careers, Nursing, Obstetrics and Nutrition, this time they are matched in 540 dollars with 60 cents.
* The alleged low in the stipend worried the inmates, because most have to move to places away from their homes and only for rent they required an average of 150 dollars, without having the basic services.