Redundancy Announcement “shocking”
UNITEC management advised academic staff in the School of Languages today of proposed redundancies that will affect 25%
(20 –25 people) of staff in the area. This has both puzzled and angered staff who can not understand why such savage
cuts should be seen as necessary.
Lloyd Woods, National President of the Association of Staff in Tertiary Education, the professional association and
union covering these workers, said today “we find it amazing that in a geographical area arguably having the greatest
number of non English speaking migrants and refugees and at a time when Government is clearly prioritising literacy and
language skills as critical to future prosperity, Unitec is looking at cutting provision. Further to that we see
proposed redundancies in a department that showed a surplus last year of 1.75 million dollars very unusual. We can only
presume this is yet another step in the expensive and foolish chase for University status”. Mr Woods added “Unitec has a
number of reviews underway, all seem to be in an effort to divest themselves of non-degree level courses and programmes.
The students miss out, the staff lose jobs, but John Webster and his cronies can tilt the balance with regard to level
of provision”.
Mr Woods added, “ Sadly institutions like Unitec seem to have lost their heart. They must simply see staff as pawns in
their own little game. There seems to be little if any regard for the effects of redundancy on staff or indeed their own
institution. Sad employer practices, very sad to see”
ENDS