Staff have voted for his savings measures

A solid majority of La Trobe U staff have voted for temporary cuts to wages and conditions in return for job protections. Turn-out was 64 per cent, with 66 per cent of them supporting the proposal.

This is a big win for Vice Chancellor John Dewar, who campaigned hard for the proposed variations of the enterprise agreement, warning LT U is in COVID-19 catalysed financial strife.

Professor Dewar does not disguise there will be involuntary redundancies but says the new deal will save “the financial equivalent of around 225 jobs.”

La Trobe U follows U Tas and UWA in securing an enterprise agreement variation from staff and with hefty majorities. In all three cases, management worked with campus union leaders and put the proposal to their members first. In contrast, Uni Melbourne and Uni Wollongong decisively lost savings proposals which were opposed by unions.