New Massey 'repositioning' proposals cold comfort

Massey University senior management released the second draft of their controversial 'repositioning' and cost cutting recommendations to staff today. The new proposals detail the loss of 86 full time equivalent positions mainly on the Palmerston North Turitea campus.

"The new recommendations are cold comfort to staff who are angry about the 'repositioning' project and the continuing uncertainty they, and their families, are expected to cope with. Senior management's insistence on pursuing this discredited project in the face of staff, student and community opposition continues to damage Massey University's reputation." said Association of University Staff (AUS) Massey Branch President Associate Professor Tony Lewis.

"The AUS put a credible alternative to this divisive process to the Vice Chancellor last month. In our view this alternative process would allow staff to produce a set of recommendations for the creation of a vibrant and innovative University as opposed to a restructured, retrenched and resentful organisation. We will continue to push this alternative to University Council who make the final decisions on the 4th of August," said Professor Lewis.

"The reduction in the number of redundancies from 116 full time equivalent positions to 86, is a minor concession from the senior management and should do nothing to quell the concerns of the Palmerston North community in particular. The cost of these redundancies to the community is in the order of a direct loss of approximately $4 million in salaries after tax, with annual flow on effects of $20 million.”

"AUS representatives are meeting with Deputy Prime Minister, Jim Anderton, today to brief him on the 'repositioning' and in particular the likely effects of the forced redundancies to the region's development. It is important that all the effects of this type of restructuring are widely canvassed," said Professor Lewis.

For more comment please contact:
Tony Lewis
w 356 9099 ext 5588
h 326 8816
cell 025 211 3290

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