When talks with the union on savings measures failed VC Peter Dawkins said there would need to be more voluntary separations than if agreement had been reached

Under the plan that did not work out, staff would have agreed to a leave purchase scheme and accepted a deferred pay rise. In return management promised to reduce job losses by 90 and ask for 100 voluntary departures (CMM September 24 and 25).

But with no deal done the university told staff yesterday it wanted 190 voluntary departures over two years.  The VC told staff management’s priority classifications to go are professional staff, senior academics with research and teaching and research only workloads.

Those who can’t apply to exit, for now, include teaching-only academics and fixed term and casual staff. VU polytechnic teachers aren’t in the frame.

And there may be more to come. “The university will seek to avoid involuntary redundancy as far as possible” and will “consult with affected staff … if it decides it is necessary to implement (an) additional selective and targeted redundancy process at a later time.”