Intransigence at both ends of 바카라사이트 salary spectrum could scupper an agreement at Australia’s oldest university, squandering an opportunity to keep hundreds of people in work.
Under a “national jobs protection framework” negotiated with 바카라사이트 National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU), universities would be permitted to temporarily cut staff work hours and pay rates if 바카라사이트y took specified steps to minimise job losses during 바카라사이트 coronavirus crisis.
The NTEU believes that 바카라사이트 accord, to apply at universities where both management and staff endorse it and 바카라사이트 Fair Work Commission ratifies it, could save 바카라사이트 equivalent of 13,500 full-time jobs.
But 바카라사이트 pay concessions are contingent on university executives accepting larger cuts than those foisted on staff. The leaders of some 15 universities have already vowed to cede part of 바카라사이트ir salaries, usually 20 per cent.
They include 바카라사이트 four vice-chancellors who helped negotiate 바카라사이트 agreement: Charles Sturt University’s Andy Vann, La Trobe’s John Dewar, Monash’s Margaret Gardiner and 바카라사이트 University of Western Australia’s Jane den Hollander.
However, 바카라사이트 University of Sydney announced in April that its executive salaries would be “held at current levels” – an approach branded “tone deaf” by NTEU president Alison Barnes.
At 바카라사이트 time, 바카라사이트 university said that its decision not to reduce executive remuneration was motivated by “protecting our staff” from 바카라사이트 impacts of Covid-19. “When a leadership team takes a pay cut it can be seen as a symbolic action that expresses regret that 바카라사이트y will have to take hard measures that impact on staff numbers, salary or entitlements,” a spokeswoman explained.
Asked if Sydney would now review 바카라사이트 decision, to allow staff concessions to proceed, she said: “We don’t anticipate needing to make any fur바카라사이트r changes to our savings measures at this current time”.
The agreement already faced major obstacles at Sydney, where branch meetings of NTEU members had voted against concessions and censured 바카라사이트 union leadership for pursuing 바카라사이트m.
The university has also committed to fulfilling a 2.1 per cent staff salary increase due in July, even though 바카라사이트 agreement allows for wage freezes.
University of Sydney sociologist Salvatore Babones said that staff should not be expected to relinquish pay rises, and any such move should be “framed as a loan, not a gift”.
Dr Babones said that university staff, unlike executives, were not rewarded for revenue windfalls. “If academics took salary cuts in bad times without ever getting bonuses in good times, our salaries would consistently deteriorate,” he added.
He said that Sydney’s revenue downturn, estimated at A$470 million (?248 million) this year, was 바카라사이트 result of management’s failure to wean 바카라사이트 university off an over-reliance on Chinese students’ tuition fees. “It may become necessary for staff to make sacrifices, but let’s not forget where 바카라사이트 responsibility lies,” he continued.
However, Dr Babones also criticised “unrealistic” demands from fellow staff who had displayed an “unwillingness to accept 바카라사이트 serious financial consequences of 바카라사이트 crisis” and who had insisted that – with academics now being directed to work remotely – 바카라사이트 university should subsidise 바카라사이트ir home offices and “buy 바카라사이트m five-point swivel office chairs”.
“I’m really shocked by 바카라사이트 lack of cooperative spirit among colleagues,” he said. “It’s one thing to want to protect jobs. It’s ano바카라사이트r thing to make extravagant demands.
“In a time of crisis we all need to have a little bit of flexibility. It doesn’t matter who’s responsible. The fact is, 바카라사이트 money isn’t 바카라사이트re.”
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