The National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) today condemned proposed job cuts at the University of Technology Sydney.
A total of more than 60 academic positions are proposed to be lost.
UTS already shed over 350 jobs in 2020 through a university-wide voluntary separation program and countless casual and fixed-term staff have lost work in 2020 and into 2021.
"There is no financial justification for cutting jobs, yet UTS is now proposing to slash dozens of front-line teaching and research staff. These staff are essential for the students they teach and for the important research they conduct. UTS is failing students and the wider community by considering these potential redundancies," said Dr. Sarah Attfield, NTEU UTS Branch President.
"A recent UTS 'People at Work' survey found that a very high proportion of UTS staff are already at 'high risk' of 'role overload' as determined by SafeWork NSW. A further reduction on staffing levels will put in question UTS compliance with its Work Health and Safety obligations regarding workload stress," continued Dr Attfield.
Dr Damien Cahill, NTEU NSW Secretary, said, "The cuts at UTS target disciplines that are critical for Australia's future, such as virology, biomedical, climate and environmental science. Positions in Teacher Education are also under threat despite the major shortage of school teachers in NSW."
"These cuts are destructive and short-sighted. They are also unnecessary. According to its Annual Report, revenue at UTS fell by only 5% last year. The University is not in financial crisis and there are alternatives to job cuts. UTS prides itself on being the 'social justice university' but cutting jobs and subjecting staff to stressful restructures contradicts this claim," said Dr Cahill.
