The university will negotiate savings with the local union

Griffith U will not participate in the accord to protect jobs by temporarily cutting wages and conditions negotiated by the NTEU and four vice chancellors.

Vice Chancellor Carolyn Evan’s considered and courteous message to staff yesterday thanked the authors of the accord for their work, but stated, “it it is not best suited to Griffith’s situation.”

The vice chancellor said “very few” of the proposed cuts to wages and conditions proposed, were “relevant to Griffith U’s circumstances,” and would only apply to mid 2021, before the university’s anticipated greatest need. The “delegation of power” to a national panel, included in the arrangement,” would be incongruent with the role of council,” she added.

However, Professor Evans warned the university faces significant losses, $100m this year, and next year “is likely to be worse.”

And so, “we may need to consider a simple variation to our enterprise agreement to be able to determine a sustainable response to the ongoing financial impact of COVID-19 and to protect jobs.”

Professor Evans committed to working within the university’s existing industrial framework. “Any change to our enterprise agreement would still require full consultation and for the majority of university staff to accept it. We intend to continue to consult with staff and work with union representatives to develop an appropriate response for Griffith U.”