The National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) has launched action in the Fair Work Commission to stop course suspensions at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS).
The NTEU argues UTS management breached its own policies by announcing the widespread suspensions last week without consulting faculty boards.
The NTEU has applied for an interim order from the Fair Work Commission to halt the suspensions.
After pressure from the NTEU, UTS eventually allowed the union to view a document outlining alternatives to job cuts prepared by KPMG, which has a $4.8 million contract with the university.
NTEU General Secretary Dr Damien Cahill said:
“UTS tried to ram through mass course suspensions in breach of its own consultation policies.
“We’re in the Fair Work Commission to stop these damaging course suspensions and force management to undertake a proper, transparent process.
“Students and staff deserve decisions made in the open, not behind closed doors and certainly through being drip-fed crucial documents in PowerPoint ‘workshops’.
“The path forward is simple: stop the suspensions, show the evidence and do the consultation properly. If management won’t do that voluntarily, we will pursue every avenue to make sure they do.”
NTEU UTS Branch President Dr Sarah Attfield said:
“This is redundancy by stealth. Suspending courses mid-consultation undermines academic integrity, destabilises student pathways and shreds staff confidence.
“Management can’t pick and choose which policies to obey. If they want to restructure, they must follow the rules, show the evidence and listen to the people who teach and support students.
“The course suspension announcement was devastating for staff, with some feeling physically sick and having to leave work early.
“UTS belongs to its students and staff as a public institution. We will not let executive shortcuts decide the future of our courses, our jobs and our community.”
