Griffith University confirms 144 job losses

A major Queensland university has confirmed 144 positions will be cut in a devastating blow to staff two weeks before Christmas.

A Queensland university has confirmed 144 jobs will be axed, with staff told just two weeks before Christmas as the university expects to lose $700 million by 2025.

Griffith University told staff 144 positions would be lost through voluntary redundancies or retrenchments, a university statement said.

The National Tertiary Education Union told The Courier-Mail 73 staff were identified as holding positions that are redundant, while 40 positions will be outsourced and another 31 staff that are part of groups staff that will be reduced, bringing the tally to 144 job losses.

It comes after the university forecast an estimated 300 job losses in July through voluntary early retirements and redundancies, amid an expected revenue loss of $100 million this year.

“The University continue to work with these staff to find redeployment opportunities within the University, while a have number have already sought voluntary redundancy,” the Griffith University statement said.

NTEU’S Queensland division secretary Michael McNally said the union’s campaign and consultation had rescued jewellery and small objects and printing divisions, so the Queensland College of Art could still deliver those subjects.

But he said it was unfortunate that most of the proposed changes were still proceeding - such as the outsourcing of 70 jobs at the Nathan campus food outlets.

He said the conversations about redundancies were “a devastating conversation to have to have two weeks before Christmas.

Griffith University is undergoing restructuring. Picture: Renae Droop

During a Town Hall meeting with staff the Vice-Chancellor indicated the reason they wanted to wrap it up before Christmas was so that they could have a fresh start in 2021, Mr McNally said.

“That’s insulting to those staff today that found out two weeks before Christmas that they were going to lose their jobs,” he said.

He said remaining staff were left questioning how they would cope with the workload and how the university would re-establish the fact staff were “valued”.

“You can’t keep sacking staff and expect the same amount of work to get done,” he said.

“Overworking staff at universities means they aren”t able to provide the same quality of education as they want too.”

The university joins a raft of other institutions axing jobs, with QUT recently announcing there would be 159 job losses, and Central Queensland University earlier this year revealing 296 position losses.

Griffith University Vice Chancellor, Professor Carolyn Evans said she was very conscious that every person who is impacted “will have families, mortgages and other commitments”, and this would “be a very distressing time for them”.

“Griffith is first and foremost, an institution that succeeds through the talent, commitment and efforts of its people, making today one the most challenging days in its history,” she said.

“There is absolutely no intention to undertake any further restructures of this nature in 2021.

“If the University continues to be severely impacted by COVID-19, we will look to further reduce non-salary expenditure rather put the University community through further staff reductions.”