No need for staff cuts at Massey University

Tue, 5 Oct 2004

No need for staff cuts at Massey University

No need for staff cuts at Massey following zero fee increase decision

The Association of University Staff, Massey Branch, is today rejecting suggestions that staffing levels or staff salary increases need to be affected by last Friday's decision of the University Council to hold fees at 2004 levels for next year.

It has been reported that staff pay rises and overall staffing levels may be at risk following the decision.

"There is simply no need to reduce staffing levels," said AUS Massey Branch President, Harvey Jones. "The University's own budget scenarios show that the only difference between a zero and five percent increase is the impact on the size of the University's projected surplus for 2005."

"Across all of the budget scenarios presented to the Council, the impact on staff salaries remains the same. Even with a 7% fee increase the University would not have spent a dollar more on staff," said Mr Jones.

"The suggestion that staff numbers will need to be cut is just scare-ongering. Massey is still forecasting a big surplus of $6.6 million dollars next year. This is on the back of $45.9 million dollars worth of accumulated surpluses over the past three years. There is no case for cuts."

University staff are campaigning for a government-funded national salary settlement to bring staff salaries into line with those offered in Australian universities.

"If Massey University management is concerned about the ability of the University to pay staff decent salaries, then we urge them to support our national bargaining campaign which, if successful, will see an injection of money into the university sector for those salaries", said Mr Jones.

ENDS