Union to Uni Melbourne: “show us the money”

Management warns it needs staff-cuts to help meet a $335m-$385m COVID-19 shortfall next year and says staff savings are needed (CMM MAY 27)

The campus branch of the National Tertiary Education Union responds management must “open the books” to set out the university’s financial circumstances.

“If the vice chancellor wants staff, alumni, donors and funding partners to trust him and his management on the response to the financial pressures facing the University of Melbourne, he must commit to financial transparency,” union branch president Steve Adams says.

It appears the union is looking to build on its win when it opposed a management proposal to cancel a pay-rise in return for reducing head-count by voluntary redundancies before any sackings. Staff voted down the required variation to the enterprise agreement 5190 to 2879 (CMM June 12).

Without staff agreement, cuts to wages and conditions must be in accord with the university enterprise agreement – which the union could contest in the Fair Work Commission.