Continued action to stop the cuts.

Hau Taki Haere | Tertiary Update Vol 27, No 11

There’s still no end in sight for Te Hautū Kahurangi | Tertiary Education Union members facing cuts up and down Aotearoa and across the education sector at present.

Last week, Te Pūkenga became the latest public tertiary education provider to launch a major change proposal. 900 jobs are targeted for change and while 500 new jobs will be created, Chief Executive Peter Winder has confirmed that there are proposed to be 400 fewer jobs in the new structure than there are at present.

TEU members up and down the country have come together at lunch time today to discuss the proposal and its impact. Kaiwhakahaere | Organiser Daniel Benson-Guiu says “despite the weighty consultation document, members still can’t tell what the proposed changes will mean for them on the ground.”

“The document is too high-level. It doesn’t provide enough detail of what’s actually being proposed to be cut. It’s not good enough for a change proposal of this magnitude to not clearly spell out where individual staff members will fit into the new structure.”

Meanwhile, also last week, students, staff, and Te Herenga Waka | Victoria University Vice Chancellor Nic Smith came together for a rally on the steps of Parliament to present a joint open letter to politicians. The open letter calls on the government and TEC to save tertiary education in Aotearoa and contains high profile signatories such as former Prime Minister Helen Clark along with the Vice Chancellors of the Universities of Victoria and Otago.

And this morning, Jessica Ye, President of Victoria University of Wellington Students Association blogged about the cuts and the impact poorly funded tertiary education has on students. Ye says “students are told that going to university will prepare them not only for their careers but also for an increasingly complex world.” And asks, “how can we expect students to support this idea when the very people within universities who carry out this important mission are being cut?”

Tomorrow, students and staff will gather for another rally, at 11am in Victoria University’s “Hunter Lawn” during a week when anxious and upset staff will find out if they are personally impacted by the proposed job cuts.

Also in this update:

• A single collective agreement for Te Pūkenga
• TEU welcomes Jennifer Jeffery
• Tiakina te Taiao – Taking action
• Grants for Good

Other stories:

Proposed job cuts at Te Pūkenga will cause more anguish for those who remain – TEU

TEU appalled by consultant spend – TEU

Pressure is mounting to stop the cuts – TEU

Massey staff bitterly disappointed – TEU