Kerry Vernon, Newcastle
The Newcastle University council voted by a 75% majority on July 12 for a proposal to cut 250 general staff jobs, for an estimated saving of $15 million a year, and 162 academic staff jobs to save $16 million a year.
"Three-hundred-and-eighty people have said they want to go — so most of that will come from voluntary separations", a university spokesperson announced.
The job cuts — a total of 412 out the university's 2400 staff — follow the university's sixth deficit in a row. Last year, Newcastle University had a budget deficit of $28 million. This year's deficit is expected to be about $15 million.
Seventy members of the three unions affected by the job and course cuts (the National Tertiary Education Union, the Community and Public Sector Union, and the Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Union) held a protest outside the meeting.
Academic and general staff unions feared that as many as 470 jobs would go.
Trevor White, Newcastle branch president of the CPSU, said there are salary cuts implied in the job cut proposals that the union would fight.
Very little consultation has occurred with students about the cuts. Their impact on students is yet to be determined.
The loss of supervisors and counselling staff and possible outsourcing of security and maintenance staff are still a concern for students, academic and general staff.
There is also some fear among union members that Newcastle University will slash whole disciplines and force students to go elsewhere to study.
From Green Left Weekly, July 20, 2005.
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