Work on 15 staff change proposals are on-hold

Origins: Vice Chancellor Iain Martin says the COVID-19 cash crunch means the university needs to cut 300 positions and not fill 100 vacant ones (CMM May 26).  The university has been consulting staff, as required by the enterprise agreement, but separately by operating units. The National Tertiary Education Union argues these consultations are parts of one all-of-university proposal and as such management should consult on that basis. This would give the union the opportunity to propose alternative savings.

Outcome:  The NTEU took the matter to the Fair Work Commission, where Commissioner Bisset ruled yesterday that until the dispute is settled management must stop staff consultations and not implement change proposals involved. She directs the parties to confer and come back Tuesday.

Implications: In May  Deakin U rejected the proposed union-universities accord on negotiating savings, saying university council had approved a plan to reduce costs, which would proceed.

There are two ways of implementing this – management asking staff to cooperate on savings measures, by voting to vary enterprise agreements, or cutting costs in-line with a university’s EA. So far, it looks like Deakin U is going with the latter.  On the existing evidence, it seems the first works when management and union agree on terms (La Trobe U, Monash U, UWA, Western Sydney U). Universities looking at option two will watch what works out at Deakin U.