At Flinders U the National Tertiary Education Union is digging in against management’s academic staff (CMM October 2 ) restructure, warning it, “will lead to further chaos, despair, and loss of knowledge and efficiencies.”

The union takes issue with management requiring staff in teaching-research positions to apply for teaching-only roles, which they may not get. The union says it is “not opposed” to a “properly constructed” teaching-specialist scheme but staff need to “willingly transition” to new roles. Plus, the present plan “is not process compliant with the university’s job security obligations.”

“This plan will result in mass forced departures of highly qualified, dedicated staff, and they will take with them a depth of knowledge that cannot be readily replaced,” union state secretary Ron Slee says.

In a seperate matter, Flinders has been in the Fair Work Commission for an unfair dismissal  case brought by Level C psychology lecturer Robert Lynd-Stevenson. The included university concerns with Dr Lynd-Stevenson’s research productivity.  Commissioner Peter Hampton concluded rather than sack him, demoting Dr Lynd-Stevenson to a Level B role would have been “a reasonable and proportionate response”  and “the consequential dismissal” was harsh. However the Commission did not order the university to reinstate Dr Lynd-Stevenson, awarding him the 26 weeks pay, the maximum allowed under the act in this circumstance.