Tertiary union to take legal action after 250 redundancies

Stuff 25 November 2022

The New Zealand Tertiary Education Union (TEU) is taking legal action against Auckland University of Technology (AUT) in the hope it will curtail plans to make at least 170 people redundant, writes Gabrielle McCulloch for Stuff.

Organiser Jill Jones said the union and staff wanted to avoid legal action but felt they’d been left with “no option” as AUT has handled the situation “extremely poorly”. “Vice-Chancellor Damon Salesa still hasn’t fronted up and engaged with staff,” she said. AUT has been contacted for comment.

On 5 September, AUT announced an expected 230 redundancies among a number of other cost-cutting measures, despite making a NZ$12 million (US$7.5 million) surplus in 2020 and 2021. Last month, the university said it anticipated making 250 equivalent full-time staff redundant – 9% more than was initially forecast. TEU has not yet revealed the nature of the legal action, but said the matter was before the employment relations authority.
Full report on the Stuff site

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