A group of vice chancellors and National Tertiary Education Union federal officials have been talking (April 2)

Late Tuesday the union set out terms for cooperating on staff savings, including protecting casual and low-paid staff and senior management “bearing a larger financial burden”.  The NTEU offered flexibility on employment conditions where a university has made savings but needs more (CMM yesterday).

Last night Universities Australia responded for the system that; “universities recognise there is an opportunity to save jobs if we can achieve significant short-term cost reductions while working through the uncertainty affecting the sector.”“Discussions with the NTEU at the national level have been constructive. We are hopeful we can achieve a solution, and will continue to work with the unions in pursuit of a deal that works in the best interests of all,” UA chief executive Catriona Jackson said.