UTAS staff agree to no pay increase in a bid to soften the university’s COVID-19 hit

UTAS staff have agreed to protect jobs in the face of the financial challenge presented by COVID-19 by forgoing a planned wage increase. See how many jobs will be saved >>

Vice Chancellor of UTAS Professor Rufus Black speaks about budget concerns from COVID-19. Picture: LUKE BOWDEN

UNIVERSITY staff have agreed to “share the burden” by forgoing a planned two per cent wage increase, as UTAS grapples with millions of dollars of coronavirus-linked debt.

In a letter to staff this week, seen by the Mercury, UTAS vice-chancellor Rufus Black said workers had voted in favour of a proposed variation to the university’s 2017-2021 staff agreement.

Of the more than 53 per cent of staff who voted on the proposal — which includes a hold on salaries — 90 per cent voted in favour.

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Prof Black has said the variation to the pay agreement would save 50 jobs.

“We are very appreciative of our unions — both the NTEU and CPSU — for supporting these measures to protect jobs in the face of the financial challenge presented by COVID-19,” he said. “

“That people have so strongly supported sharing the burden of the impact to save jobs through wage restraint is a mark of the strength of our community.”

UTAS anticipates a loss of revenue of between $30 million and $34 million this year mostly because of the absence of thousands of international students due to COVID-19 travel restrictions.

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Prof Black said a further decline of $60 million to $120 million per year was expected across 2021-2022.

He said that in order to ensure fairness over the period of the variation, UTAS had agreed to not cut pay, not enact stand-downs, and to maintain superannuation in instances of progression and promotion.

Protections for fixed-term and casual staff, and a guaranteed protection of termination pay and continuity of service were also promised.