NTEU Media Release 20 Nov 2008

UNIVERSITY STAFF DEMAND MORE INVESTMENT,
HALT TO SACKINGS

MEDIA RELEASE
20 November 2008

Over 80% of staff in Victorian Universities believe that the sector is underfunded, and while a similar percentage of academic staff expressed the view that educational quality has suffered from funding limitations. These findings are part of a survey of University staff conducted by the National Tertiary Education Union over the past 2 weeks.

University staff from around Victoria will be rallying today calling on the Federal Government to turn around the decade long decline in public funding to universities and to call on universities to suspend any redundancies and job cuts until after the outcomes of the Bradley Review have been announced.

“It is about respect” said Matthew McGowan, Secretary of the NTEU Victorian Division. “After over a decade of hostility from the Howard Government, some universities have forgotten what collegiality means. Universities should be demonstrating best practice in employee management, not worst practice.”
The NTEU survey measured staff attitudes towards university management, Federal Government funding and the Bradley Review. The survey of over 3,300 staff found that most staff believe that:

Universities have become worse places to work over the past two years;
Funding limitations has negatively affected the quality of education at universities;
Universities are more concerned about gaining income than on outcomes for students;
Vice-Chancellors and senior management do not respect or value university staff; and
Universities should wait until after the Bradley Review is completed before making staff cuts.

“The Federal Government is also on notice. Universities are in dire need of increased public funding to undo the damage that has left Australia as one of the worst investors in higher education in the OECD,” he said.
Rally details

Today, Thursday 20 November, 11am
Athenaeum Theatre, 188 Collins St, CBD

For more information
Alex White, NTEU Communications Officer, 0403 694 397, awhite@vic.nteu.org.au