University of Sydney Professional sERVICES review
TAKE FORCED REDUNDANCIES OFF THE TABLE
Can you take action for staff and students by demanding forced redundancies are taken off the table?
The Professional Services Review will only succeed if staff are secure, heard and respected.
The University of Sydney's Professional Services Review (PSR) is being presented as a review of systems and processes. Professional staff know from experience across the sector that reviews like this too often end in job losses, increased workloads, and declining service quality despite claims from management to the contrary
The University is not facing a financial crisis. It reported a surplus of approximately $500 million, continues to engage external consultants at significant cost, and has not identified professional staff costs as a major financial risk in its own annual reports. Yet staff are being asked to participate in a review without any guarantee of job security. That undermines trust and discourages honest input.
This is cruel and unnecessary.
Experience shows that meaningful consultation requires staff to feel secure in their jobs. Where staff are protected from forced redundancies, they are far more willing to share ideas about fixing broken systems and inefficient processes. Without that protection, consultation becomes performative and driven by fear.
DEMAND THE VC & PROVOST
Take FORCED REDUNDANCIES off the table
We're calling on the Vice Chancellor and Provost to instruct the Chief Operating Officer to immediately take forced redundancies off the table.
Our demand to management calls for forced redundancies to be taken off the table and for professional staff to be treated fairly through the PSR. We'll only achieve security for professional staff if we can get enough of our colleagues and community members to join with us, so make sure you talk to those around you about the PSR and encourage them to sign on too.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
Collecting signatures
Union members, supporters and colleagues will have ongoing discussions around the university and collect signatures. It's critical that we have a significant number of people signed on before the release of the draft change proposal.
Delivering our demands
Prior to the draft change proposal, professional staff member and NTEU Branch Vice President (Professional Staff) Dr Jennifer Dowling will write to management with the demand.
What else are members fighting for?
NTEU members will continue campaigning for assurances related to workloads, AI accountability, overlapping change processes and genuine consultation.
Sign on to the demand:
We've seen what university management across the sector are doing to our colleagues.
We can't let it happen at the University of Sydney.
"Take forced redundancies off the table. Job security builds worker satisfaction. Worker satisfaction builds success—for students, staff, and the university.”
Dr Jennifer Dowling - USYD Branch Vice President Professional Staff
Other ways you can get involved
1. Call a meeting in your local workplace - this can sound intimidating but it’s not. You'll have the support of the PSR Rep Group, NTEU staff and the Branch Committee to run it. Email Glen now to get the ball rolling.
2. Use the talking points document to have conversations with your colleagues.
3. Use the visibility resources we're developing to highlight the massive contribution professional staff make to teaching and research at the University. This includes the “take forced redundancies off the table” email signature banner.
4. Have people sign on to our claim: No forced redundancies. Provide professional staff with job security and allow staff to provide honest advice on what needs improving, safe in the knowledge that they aren't making a case for their own redundancy.
5. Ask your colleagues to join the union
to get involved with the NTEU's campaign.
