CPSU/PSA pledges to save Newcastle University jobs

The Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU), which covers over 1,500 University of Newcastle General Staff, today pledged to develop a strategy for dealing with the $28 million deficit that the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Nicholas Saunders, announced this week.

CPSU Branch President, Susan Eade, and Vice-President, Trevor White, have met with Professor Saunders to discuss the University's financial position.

Branch President, Susan Eade said: "The CPSU is adamant that redundancies must be the last resort and we insist the University consider other strategies as a way of avoiding job losses. The CPSU wants to work with the University to find solutions to the University's difficulties and we have a number of measures that could minimise the University's financial liability and mitigate the number of redundancies that might be proposed."

The CPSU has recently negotiated an Enterprise Agreement with the University that ensures the University must fully consult with the CPSU on all proposed staffing changes. Any initiative will need to be put to CPSU members for endorsement.

Branch President, Susan Eade, added, "The University's financial situation must be viewed in the context of the Federal Government's failure to adequately fund education and to provide much needed regional funding.

"Funding to Universities has been decreased and the cost of education for students has increased, no doubt adding to the Federal Government's obscene surplus. This surplus should be directed to resource the public institutions for which it was collected."