This Wednesday (22/07/26) the Fair Work Commission (FWC) will hold a hearing in Newcastle in which NTEU (National Tertiary Education Union) members from the University of Newcastle (UoN) allege that university management failed in their duty to properly consult staff on sweeping changes at the university.
The case was first lodged as a dispute in October 2025.
The Union alleges that UoN management have attempted to split up the change into multiple smaller changes, preventing staff from being able to be genuinely consulted with. Staff have voiced concerns about the impact of the changes on their workloads, psychosocial wellbeing and the detrimental effect on students and research.
The Union considers that the interconnected nature of universities means that no changes of this scale can be made in isolation. Further, it results in staff never having the required opportunity to consult on management changes at the point of inception.
UoN management has employed an extensive team of external, highly paid lawyers from a leading employer law firm to fight the case rather than simply engaging and consulting with staff, the Union alleges. The expense to the university, staff and the taxpayer could have been avoided if management valued the expertise of UoN workers and worked with the staff to find solutions
The hearing is scheduled to finish on Thursday (23/07/26)
Quotes attributable to Vince Caughley, NTEU NSW Division Secretary:
“How are staff meant to fully appreciate and respond to university wide changes if management only consults with them in narrow silos? It’s laughable to think that changes made to staff in one area won’t impact staff in another when they work together on a daily basis.
“University of Newcastle (UoN) management have paid top dollar for lawyers and a leading barrister rather than consulting with the staff that know the university best, which is especially egregious during a period of threatened cuts.
“This is an important case, not just because we believe UoN management has breached their obligations to staff, but also because it sends a message that they will be held accountable to their actions.
