Trim the top not the talent!
“Pruning”: VU management lacks vision and leadership.
Victoria University (VU) management’s announcement of the ‘Toward One VU Program’ characterized by 300 Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) Voluntary Separation Packages (VSPs) has produced significant uncertainty, fear, and demoralization among staff.
At the all-staff meeting on Wednesday the 28th of June management gave no clear answers to staff questions about the implications for workloads, the potential impact on courses and subjects offered to students, or whether management will take further actions like redundancies.
The Vice-Chancellor described the proposed changes as “pruning”, but 300 FTE jobs are a significant number of staff and this comes when many of us are still reeling from previous restructures.
Staff who remain at VU are vulnerable to potential local work area changes that will have negative impacts on working conditions, staff health, and student experiences. The announcements blindsided staff and members of the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU), neither of whom were consulted prior to the decision. Nor were the health and safety representatives. Where is the care for staff?
This clearly reflects that VU senior management are out of touch with the everyday realities of staff.
NTEU members have a vision of a VU that centers staff, students and the broader community
NTEU members are campaigning for changes in our enterprise bargaining agreement (EBA) that make VU a vibrant place to study and work. Our log of claims demands that no individual be subject to an organisational change process more than once during the life of the Agreement and that there be protections against workload intensification as a result of restructures.
We believe that higher education is a public good and it should be properly funded by respective state and federal governments. VU staff should not be paying for a crisis caused by inadequate governance and university mismanagement.
A day after VU management blindsided staff, the NTEU held a members’ meeting which overwhelmingly voted in support of pursuing a combination of legal responses and grassroots campaign initiatives including fast-tracking a Protected Action Ballot Order (PABO) to authorise members to take protected industrial action in support of our EBA negotiations.
Get Involved!
- ●Print off this flyer, put it up as a poster in your work area, and pass on copies to workmates.
- ●If you haven’t already, sign the petition in support of our vision for VU and encourage other staff to as well.
- ●We can help you organise a local area meeting to check in on your workmates, discuss management’s proposed changes and talk about how things can be better, safer and fairer.
- ●Consider joining a working group or becoming a NTEU delegate and/or health and safety representative (HSR) in your area.
- ●Email the union [email protected] or chat to a Branch Committee member if you can help out with the campaign in any way (e.g., leafleting, stalls, postering, phone banking).
Financial Advice for NTEU Members
If you are considering taking a Voluntary Separation Package (VSP), members are entitled to a free consultation and 50% discount on a comprehensive financial plan. You can access member benefits, including financial services in your member portal
If needed, please access VU’s Employee Assistance Program for confidential, 24 hour support.