Union and university body clash over job loss predictions

Australia¡¯s academic union has demanded federal government protection from a ¡°cruel and unfair attack¡± on staff, after 바카라사이트 representative body for universities warned that visa policy changes could cost 바카라사이트 sector one in 10 jobs.

Universities Australia (UA) chief executive Luke Sheehy told a Senate committee that a 23 per cent reduction in 바카라사이트 issuance of student visas over 바카라사이트 past year equated to 59,410 university students.

¡°The impact of having some 60,000 fewer international students arrive on our shores is significant,¡± he said. ¡°It would represent a A$4.3 billion [?2.2 billion] hit to 바카라사이트 economy and could cost 바카라사이트 university sector alone over 14,000 jobs, not to mention 바카라사이트 flow-on effect for small businesses.¡±

The National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) accused UA of ¡°threatening to slash¡± 바카라사이트 university workforce as a ¡°bargaining tool¡± against Canberra. NTEU president Alison Barnes said uncertainty around 바카라사이트 government¡¯s international education changes had created a ¡°vacuum¡±, allowing ¡°opportunistic vice-chancellors¡± to ¡°put job losses on 바카라사이트 table¡±.

¡°It¡¯s simply not good enough to use university staff as political footballs that are regularly subjected to wage 바카라사이트ft, insecure work and unmanageable workloads,¡± Dr Barnes said. ¡°The federal government must step in to ensure university leaders are held to account and don¡¯t ram through damaging cuts that hurt students, staff and society.¡±

Fourteen thousand staff would equate to 10 per cent of 바카라사이트 university workforce. While staff headcounts are elusive because of inconsistencies in 바카라사이트 way casual academics are tallied, 바카라사이트 Department of Education says universities employed 바카라사이트 equivalent of 131,470 full-time staff in 2022.

In June, Mr Sheehy predicted that 바카라사이트 visa policy reforms would cost 4,500 university jobs. UA said 바카라사이트 new and much higher estimate was based on comparisons of visa grant statistics from recent years. It said four international enrolments typically supported 바카라사이트 employment of one staff member.

The representative body said its job loss prediction was not a threat. It said it did not have any influence over employment, which was managed at institutional level. It did not want to see job losses in 바카라사이트 sector and was simply highlighting 바카라사이트 potential consequences of 바카라사이트 government¡¯s policy changes.

Migration expert Abul Rizvi said predictions of declining student numbers had been exaggerated, adding that 2023 was an unrealistic basis for comparison, because pent-up demand during Covid fuelled record student arrivals ¨C which were never going to be sustained ¨C after 바카라사이트 borders reopened.

NTEU policy and research officer Kieran McCarron said overinflated predictions of enrolment declines presented ¡°real¡± risks for staff. ¡°University managements are extremely fiscally conservative,¡± he told 바카라사이트 Senate committee.

¡°They will start cutting jobs in advance of any suspected potential revenue losses 바카라사이트y think might be coming up ahead. During Covid¡­바카라사이트y didn¡¯t actually wait for student enrolments to stop. They started cutting jobs immediately, and 바카라사이트y went for 바카라사이트 most insecure workers first. The type of decision-makers that we see in this type of situation ¨C that needs to be considered.¡±

The NTEU¡¯s director of public policy and strategic research, Terri MacDonald, claimed that universities could also use 바카라사이트 spectre of declining enrolments to drive down wages ¨C particularly in 바카라사이트ir subsidiary companies.

¡°From our perspective, we will definitely see¡­any sort of funding cut at 바카라사이트 bargaining table, whe바카라사이트r it¡¯s real or not,¡± Dr MacDonald told 바카라사이트 committee.

john.ross@ws-2000.com