Student Council calls for no sham redundancies at Flinders University

The Flinders University Student Association (FUSA) Student Council has today launched the Cut the Restructure, Not the Jobs! Campaign in support of the more than 200 academic staff who will be asked to reapply for their jobs if the currently proposed academic restructure goes ahead.

This restructure proposal follows on from the destructive restructure that only twelve months ago saw academics, professional, and library staff all contributing to close to 200 voluntary redundancies, and the removal of cheaper food alternatives on campus. Not only are these staff integral to the quality of our education, we also acknowledge the huge financial and emotional burden that increased job insecurity has on these staff and their loved ones.

The National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) dispute lodged with the Fair Work Commission is welcomed by FUSA Student Council, and we look forward to building upon our collaborative relationship and to fight cohesively for the best interests of staff and students alike, not the corporate strategies of Flinders University management. As the currently proposed restructure is temporarily on hold during this dispute we will take every opportunity to ensure that every student understands the damaging effects of previous and ongoing restructures.

“University Management have intentionally tried to eliminate student voice from this process. History shows that they consistently rush through these proposals at the most inconvenient of time during the semester for staff and students” says former FUSA Education Officer Josh Rayner.

“If Vice-Chancellor Colin Stirling really was actively searching for student consultation and feedback, he’d be doing much more than tokenistic emails only a fortnight out from our examination period. Students are justifiably too busy preparing for exams to be worrying about emails and consultation opportunities filled with university management jargon.”

FUSA Student Council will stand in solidarity with both academic and professional staff, knowing they are integral to the education that students at our university receive. We will be out at events across our campuses, collecting petition signatures, talking to students and ensuring they fully understand the damaging nature of academic restructures such as these.

For comment: FUSA President Katt Hatzi

FUSA Education Officer Jesse Stevens

E: student.president@flinders.edu.au; education.officer@flinders.edu.au