News

Thursday, 16 July 2020

UNSW’s job losses show urgent need for Federal Government funding to save higher education


Cuts – July 2020 (PDF version)

The Federal Government’s failure to support Australia’s higher education sector will see the University of NSW cut 500 jobs, says the CPSU NSW.

The CPSU NSW, which represents professional staff on NSW university campuses, said the offer of 493 voluntary redundancies, announced by UNSW today could have been avoided had the Morrison Government backed higher education during the COVID-19 crisis.

“It is clear that Australia’s high education sector is in a perilous situation – we need JobKeeper in our universities now, and then we need a fundamental rethink of the higher education system,” said Troy Wright, assistant secretary of the CPSU NSW.

“We will hold a mass meeting of members tomorrow to make sure their voice is heard clearly during negotiations with the university. We will support our members every step of the way and work with the university to minimise the disruption to members’ lives.

“The university sector is in crisis, but it was under pressure long before COVID-19. A lack of proper investment made the sector fragmented and over-reliant on international students.

“The Morrison Government must provide support to the sector, now. The CPSU NSW is not looking for a short-term sugar hit to the sector but a sustainable solution that will deliver stability to the system.”

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