Classes are set to be cancelled for hundreds of students across University of Newcastle (UoN) campuses as staff vote to strike due to growing frustrations with University management.
National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) members at UoN have today overwhelmingly voted to walk off the job at 1pm Thursday 23 October for a half-day strike in response to University management’s lack of progress in enterprise bargaining negotiations.
NTEU members’ decision to escalate their campaign for secure jobs and safe workloads comes at a time where University management plans to slash 140 local jobs and axe a dozen courses for students in an effort to improve the budget bottom line by $20.6 million, a move which the NTEU opposes.
UoN management’s latest cuts to the quality of higher education in the Newcastle Hunter region are part of a sector-wide crisis, with nearly 1800 jobs under threat across eight universities in New South Wales.
NTEU members at UoN are prepared to take further strike action if University management does not make significant progress in negotiations.
NTEU UoN Branch President, Associate Professor Terry Summers said:
“Staff are dedicated to supporting future engineers, teachers, psychologists and world leaders our region depends upon. We are incredibly passionate about students’ outcomes, which are at risk unless University leadership meaningfully address unsustainable workloads and the growing job insecurity that staff endure.”
“This strike is about improving our rights at work, but more importantly, it’s about safeguarding quality higher education for our region’s future.”
“Our demands are fair and reasonable. We want secure jobs so our colleagues aren’t consumed by stress over whether they will still have a job next year. We want safer workloads so staff aren’t forced to choose between burnout and their students’ education. And we want a pay rise that makes up for the losses we’ve experienced in real wages since 2018.”
“University management has an opportunity to do right by staff, but instead they are busy slashing jobs and courses with no justification. The University’s own finance reports tabled in parliament this year show a $61 million surplus. At the same time student enrolments have grown in 2025 and are forecasted to increase in 2026.”
NTEU NSW Division Secretary, Vince Caughley said:
“University of Newcastle members have sent a clear message – they’ve had enough of delays and half-measures at the bargaining table. This strike is about the urgent need for real progress in negotiations to deliver secure jobs, fair workloads and the respect staff deserve.”
“The depth of frustration among our members cannot be overstated. For too long, staff have been asked to do more with less, while management resists the genuine reforms needed to make work at the university sustainable. Striking is not a decision anyone takes lightly, but members have been left with no choice.”
NTEU members at University of Newcastle on strike at NUspace, Newcastle. September 24, 2022 (Credit: Al Scott, NTEU NSW)
