Union rejects ANU cuts
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ANU has asked staff to sacrifice pay while cutting more jobs.
Australian National University (ANU) has come under intense criticism from the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) following its decision to cut an additional 108 jobs while proposing that staff forgo a previously agreed 2.5 per cent pay rise.
This development follows cuts announced earlier this month, which saw 50 positions eliminated from the College of Health and Medicine.
The NTEU has been vocal in its disapproval, particularly given that the university's administration is moving forward with both job losses and a request for staff to take a pay cut.
Dr Lachlan Clohesy, Secretary of the NTEU ACT Division, has described the situation as “staggering” and questioned the logic behind asking staff to give up their pay under the promise of saving jobs while more layoffs are concurrently being announced.
Dr Clohesy also criticised the financial handling of the university, attributing the current crisis to poor governance, and highlighting the difficulties ANU staff face amidst Australia's cost-of-living crisis.
“Millionaire Vice Chancellors seem to have no appreciation that most of Australia is in a cost of living crisis,” he said.
The staff unrest follows ANU’s announcement of the “Renew ANU” plan, which aims to cut costs by $250 million by 2026, with $100 million expected to come from staff salaries.
The university has projected a $200 million deficit for 2024, a sharp increase from earlier estimates.
The restructuring, which includes the dissolution of the College of Health and Medicine, is part of broader measures to address financial shortfalls, exacerbated by capped international student numbers imposed by the federal government.
Union leaders have drawn comparisons to a similar situation during the pandemic, where staff accepted a temporary deferral of wage increases under the promise of job retention, only to see hundreds of jobs cut later.
The union remains sceptical of management’s current approach, arguing that “pay cuts don’t save jobs”, as demonstrated in 2020.
ANU Vice-Chancellor Professor Genevieve Bell has attempted to address the concerns by taking a 10 per cent pay reduction herself.
However, critics argue this move does little to mitigate the impact on lower-paid staff, noting the gap between executive compensation and average salaries at the university.
“The Vice Chancellor has announced she’s taking a pay cut – but if you’re still on $1 million a year after taking a pay cut, there’s a clear problem with executive salaries,” Dr Clohesy added.
As the university proceeds with its plan, a vote will be held to determine whether the staff will agree to forgo the pay increase, with the union preparing a strong “vote no” campaign.