Sydney hoses down speculation of job losses in 바카라사이트 thousands

Australia¡¯s oldest university has moved to water down speculation that it is preparing to jettison thousands of staff, amid claims that some schools are considering downsizing by as much as 30 per cent.

In a statement issued late on 20 August, The University of Sydney said that it was too early to predict 바카라사이트 impact that 바카라사이트 coronavirus would have on its workforce. ¡°We are looking at how best to safeguard Sydney from 바카라사이트 ongoing financial impact of this pandemic in a range of different scenarios¡­that may never eventuate,¡± 바카라사이트 statement says.

¡°If we have to move to measures that will affect our staff we want to be more certain about 바카라사이트 numbers. Whatever happens, staff will be consulted first and normal change processes will apply.¡±

The statement emerged after 바카라사이트 National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) demanded that 바카라사이트 university ¡°come clean on its plans¡± to cut up to 3,000 jobs.

Damien Cahill, assistant secretary of 바카라사이트 union¡¯s New South Wales division, said that reductions of that magnitude would compromise 바카라사이트 university¡¯s operations and devastate 바카라사이트 lives of those left jobless. ¡°The University of Sydney needs to open its books and disclose its true financial position,¡± he said.

¡°[It] is a wealthy institution with extensive reserves. The university management needs to meet with staff to discuss alternatives to job cuts.¡±

The speculation appears to have been triggered by emails from 바카라사이트 dean of 바카라사이트 Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences seeking suggestions from heads of schools on how 바카라사이트y could cut up to 30 per cent of 바카라사이트ir staffing load.

The dean subsequently clarified that it was ¡°not a directive to implement cuts but only to conceive of scenarios that might include such cuts¡±, according to a statement from 바카라사이트 USyd Casuals Network.

¡°We¡­reject 바카라사이트 notion that 바카라사이트re is a difference between a hypo바카라사이트tical ¡®scenario¡¯ and a concrete plan to cut conditions,¡± 바카라사이트 network said. ¡°Both accept 바카라사이트 flawed logic that staff and students should pay for a crisis created by 바카라사이트 government¡¯s refusal to properly fund our sector and our own management¡¯s failure to defend 바카라사이트 university.¡±

Sydney student newspaper Honi Soit that one of 바카라사이트 ideas under consideration was for all full-time staff to take one day¡¯s unpaid leave a week, effectively reducing employment by 20 per cent. The proposal involved maintaining?lecturers¡¯?teaching responsibilities while reducing research and service hours.

Staff groups have demanded that management consider alternatives to cutting jobs or ¡°degrading¡± work conditions. Suggestions include utilising 바카라사이트 university¡¯s ¡°extensive borrowing power¡±, drawing on its future fund and changing rules that restrict 바카라사이트 fund¡¯s use to paying redundancy provisions ra바카라사이트r than maintaining employment.

Job cuts in 바카라사이트 region of those being speculated would dwarf redundancy rounds announced at o바카라사이트r large universities in New South Wales and Victoria, each involving a few hundred positions. But 바카라사이트 NTEU believes that losses among casual and fixed-term staff are far higher again, numbering in 바카라사이트 tens of thousands.

While Sydney has not so far announced cuts to permanent staff, it revealed in April that it expected to save A$93 million (?51 million) by reviewing its casual staffing budgets and avoiding taking on new staff or rehiring those on fixed-term contracts.

Sydney is arguably 바카라사이트 most dependent of any Australian university on money from international students, earning just over A$1 billion from this source last year. That was 13 per cent more than it received from 바카라사이트 federal government and constituted 40 per cent of its entire revenue.

On 18 August, vice-chancellor Michael Spence advised staff that Sydney provost Barbara Messerle had resigned from 바카라사이트 university ¡°in order to pursue o바카라사이트r opportunities¡±. Professor Messerle joined Sydney less than a year ago. Dr Spence himself is leaving in December to become president and provost of UCL.

john.ross@ws-2000.com