Protest over more Victorian universities job cuts

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24676219-12332,00.html
Andrew Trounson November 20, 2008
Article from: The Australian

an extract... for full article click on the above link

INDUSTRIAL unrest at Victorian universities is set to worsen after La Trobe University warned staff that voluntary job cuts weren't meeting targets, raising the prospect of compulsory layoffs.
In response the National Tertiary Education Union has accused the university of accelerating the pace of previously announced savings targets.

Today hundreds of university staff across the Victorian sector will hold a public protest in Melbourne. The NTEU has accused vice-chancellors of acting prematurely in seeking to cut jobs when a funding boost from Canberra is expected following the release of the Bradley Review next month.

Over 470 administrative and academic jobs are on the block in Victoria as universities get squeezed by chronic government under-funding with indexation at only half the inflation rate.
Tumbling investment income is also set to hit well-endowed institutions, while growth in offshore student revenue is expected to slow.

But the NTEU is angry that universities are choosing to cut staff while still funding instrastructure expansions.
"In an environment when we are expecting increased funding from the federal government, the moves to cut staff is premature,"

At Victoria University vice chancellor Liz Harman is facing a revolt over job cuts with the NTEU set to strike next month after the job cut soured stalled enterprise bargaining talks.