The National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) has dealt a major blow to University of Technology Sydney’s (UTS) plan to slash jobs, with SafeWork NSW ordering an immediate pause to the next stage of cuts.
Under the ruling, UTS must cancel all meetings with staff about its plan, and pause the release of the change proposal itself - expected to be rolled out this week.
This pause will be in effect until SafeWork NSW is satisfied that appropriate safety measures have been put in place as a result of consultation with workers.
SafeWork NSW issued the prohibition notice after investigating psychosocial hazards stemming from the restructure.
There are two ongoing disputes with UTS management in the Fair Work Commission over its plan to axe 400 jobs and pause student intake in more than 100 courses - a plan which staff say is having serious consequences for current and prospective students.
Despite the NTEU presenting viable alternatives to the cuts through extensive expert analysis, UTS management has dismissed the majority of staff concerns and suggestions.
Quotes attributable to NTEU NSW Division Secretary Vince Caughley:
“In pushing ahead with their disastrous change plans, UTS management once again underestimated the serious and damaging impacts their choices have on staff and the community. SafeWork NSW’s intervention is a rare and damning rebuke that underlines just how reckless these cuts have been.
“It also raises profound questions for the public about how UTS - and other NSW universities - are being governed. The scale of job and course cuts across the sector, and the repeated failures of management to act responsibly, show that these institutions have drifted away from their public mission. The public is entitled to ask whether those entrusted with running our universities are fit for the task - and it’s exactly why deeper scrutiny and reform of university governance is urgently needed.”
Quotes attributable to NTEU UTS Branch President Dr Sarah Attfield:
"This decision from SafeWork NSW is incredibly welcomed by union members and the many staff who have been under immense stress at UTS.
"At every turn so far, staff have been met with dismissal after dismissal from UTS management. I hope this decision makes it clear to management that staff have legitimate concerns and they can't just ram through changes that prioritise profit over people.
"It seems like management isn't interested in the ideas of the staff who run this university, and that's exactly why we will keep up the fight for our right to transparency, consultation, and safe workplaces."
Quotes attributable to NTEU National President Dr Alison Barnes:
"This exposes a governance crisis that extends far beyond one university - it's symptomatic of a system where vice-chancellors make damaging decisions without accountability to the communities they're meant to serve.
"What we're seeing at UTS is being replicated across the country: university executives pursuing reckless job cuts that tear at the fabric of public universities, while dismissing the expertise and concerns of their own staff.
"The fact that a workplace safety regulator had to step in to protect university workers speaks volumes about how disconnected university management has become.
"We need urgent governance reform to ensure vice-chancellors can't continue making decisions that damage our universities without proper oversight and accountability."
Contact: Matt Coughlan 0400 561 480