The Association of Professors of the University of Panama (APUDEP) sent a letter to the Minister of Economy and Finance, Felipe Chapman, diplomatically but firmly reminding him of the Christmas bonus for administrative and academic staff. The association emphasizes that this payment is not a whim or a recent concession, but an incentive included in the union's proposal to the University of Panama as early as 2014. In the letter, sent on November 24, 2025, from the Octavio Méndez Pereira University Campus, the union details that this recognition is part of a package of incentives that take into account the additional work performed by professors each semester. They explain that these functions “far exceed” those established in the University Statute for full-time and part-time faculty. Among these incentives is specifically the payment of the Christmas bonus, a benefit that the association stresses is also due to public officials in various state entities of Panama. The professors express their concern over recent public statements that have called into question the recognition of the bonus for the administrative and academic staff of the Mendez Pereira house, a benefit they emphasize has been received by university workers for over a decade without interruption. This concern, they state, is the fundamental reason for addressing the letter to the minister, with the intention of “finding a path to understanding” that will allow the 8,000 officials working at the institution to maintain what they consider a legitimate right: the Christmas stipend. Therefore, APUDEP formally requests the establishment of a direct communication channel between its union and the minister's office to “finalize the recognition of the Christmas bonus for the members of the university family.” The letter closes with the signature of the president of the Association of Professors of the University of Panama, who extends to the minister “his highest esteem and consideration.” The letter is written in an elegant, almost diplomatic language, but with enough edge to make it clear that the Christmas bonus for university workers is not up for discussion: it has been on the table since 2014.
