The Public Employment Offer for teaching staff at the ULL has been signed, with the announcement of 114 positions.

The Rectorate of the University of La Laguna hosted today, November 28, the signing of the Public Employment Offer (OPE) for teaching and research staff in 2024, with a total of 77 newly created positions plus 37 internal promotions, totaling 114.

The agreement has been signed by all the trade union groups that participated in the negotiation and the university itself, represented by its rector, Francisco García, with the presence of the vice-rector of Teaching and Research Staff, Afonso Ruiz.

The agreed criteria for the distribution of positions are as follows: 37 Full Professor (CU) positions through internal promotion, assigned upon notification of the corresponding accreditation; one Full Professor (CU) position through open competition; 29 Associate Professor (University) positions upon request to the departments; 25 Permanent Contract Faculty positions to cover all Assistant Professors who have completed three years of their contract this year; 4 Permanent Contract Faculty positions for areas of knowledge based on the stabilization of researchers and teaching needs, as well as the corresponding accreditation and application date; 7 Permanent Contract Faculty positions linked to the Canary Islands Health Service; 12 Permanent Contract Faculty and Associate Professor positions corresponding to the 15% reserve for researchers with R3/I3 certification; and finally, fulfilling the quota for people with disabilities, with a number no less than 7%.

The president of the Teaching and Research Staff Works Council, Fernando Rivera, welcomed the agreement, the result of a long negotiation process, he said, which demonstrates the strengthening of the public institution. He also complained about the lack of communication with the Directorate General of Universities, with whom they have requested meetings on several occasions without success.

The intervention of the president of the Teaching and Research Staff Committee, Luis Cabrera, was of the same nature, guaranteeing the full support of the union representation for this agreement, while also calling on other bodies to demonstrate their genuine commitment to the public sector. Cabrera stated his rejection of the proposed funding for the Canary Islands universities, with a spending cap for 2025 of only 21% above the national budget for personnel, which is insufficient to fulfill the agreed-upon terms. As Rivera also stated, "union representation is invisible to the regional government," he denounced, while demanding the development of career paths for faculty, as proposed by the Organic Law of the University System, and, furthermore, the incorporation of adjunct professors for clinical teaching.

However, he maintained that this signing of 114 positions is a clear step forward, but requested the elimination of the replacement rate and the spending cap itself, in order to meet the university's real needs in terms of faculty.

For his part, the Vice-Rector for Teaching and Research Staff, Alfonso Ruiz, indicated that given this rapidly changing scenario and the implementation of the new law, in addition to budgetary constraints, “it is more important than ever to be aligned.” He also expressed his support for eliminating the replacement rate, an issue on which the Ministry of Universities has not yet issued a clear statement. Therefore, he advocated for opening up as many positions as possible and not leaving a single one unfilled, a task in which the entire Vice-Rector's team and the Human Resources Department itself have collaborated, and he thanked them for their efforts.

The signing ceremony was closed by the Rector, Francisco García, who championed the same idea of unity and dialogue as the primary means to advance the improvement of this public university, despite all the challenges we must face. In this regard, “we shouldn't go beyond next year without having a stable financial instrument for the Canary Islands' public universities,” the Rector asserted. To achieve this, it will be essential to maintain this attitude of collaboration and dialogue with all the union representatives. He also took the opportunity to congratulate all the faculty members, who have amply demonstrated their professional competence, given that prior accreditation of the university's teaching and research staff was required for these positions. “In fair reciprocity,” he said, “this public university offers them an opportunity for a professional future.”.