VC asks staff if they really want to keep the coming pay rise
The university’s 2020 income will be down $175m and spending up $75m this year. Vice Chancellor Brian Schmidt told staff yesterday that while the revenue loss is largely due to COVID-19 (cruelling international student arrivals), the increase in costs is due to the hail-storms and fires that afflicted ANU early this year.
After savings, and borrowings, he says ANU is $100m short this year, with anticipated income down $150m next year, “and we can expect ongoing savings of this magnitude are likely in 2022 and beyond.”
So, what is to be done? Operating units will, “re-work budgets” and there is a website for, “thoughts, ideas and suggestions.”
But there are two big-ticking savings which Professor Schmidt put on the agenda yesterday.
* “how a voluntary separation scheme might work best for the university”
* the enterprise agreement pay rise scheduled for July. The vice chancellor says he would, “welcome your honest feedback on whether now is the best time to take on this additional cost that could be part of our savings.” The rise is in-line with National Tertiary Education Union negotiated pay-hikes at universities across the country.
A separate statement sets what’s on the employment agenda
* the university states that in first semester it committed to maintaining casual and fixed-term contracts. “However, with reduced student numbers and the possibility of the reduction of some research activity, we need to look at our staffing profiles and match them to the work required.” Decisions on continuing/renewing contracts will be made by college deans, school directors and portfolio heads.
* “increased scrutiny on workforce decisions – such as the continuation or extension of casual and fixed-term contracts, and the replacement of vacancies occurring through resignations and the renewal of loadings”
* no stand-downs
* no JobKeeper payments (even if ANU was eligible “we do not envisage needing access).
Reaction The NTEU’s ACT secretary Cathy Day was quick to point out that changes would require a staff vote to vary ANU’s enterprise agreement and that the union will oppose “any measure that targets staff jobs”.
As to giving-back the recent salary lift; “staff are being asked to give up their well-earned pay rise in exchange for nothing more than a warm fuzzy feeling of helping ANU management. Warm fuzzy feelings don’t pay the bills,” Dr Day said.