New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins faced a grilling by University of Otago students during his trip to Ōtepoti yesterday.

Students, staff and community members have been fighting against the university’s request for staff to consider redundancies in a bid to save $60 million.

But the students did not keep their questions to cuts alone.

• READ MORE: Other NZ universities reports

Hipkins got a mixed welcome with protesters chanting and asking for selfies with the prime minister.

Associate professor of politics Brian Roper said staff were already finding out that their courses were being cut and they were losing their jobs.

“I bumped into one of them. She was in tears, she’s absolutely distraught. What this government is doing to our universities is scandalous,” he said.

“Five out of eight of them are currently experiencing severe financial difficulties because of a chronic underfunding from this government.”

Declining enrolments
Hipkins said declining enrolments meant universities across the motu were finding ways to rebalance their books.

“I know that’s a really uncertain and uncomfortable time for the staff. The universities make their own decisions about how they manage their finances so it’s not something we can intervene on as a government.”

The prime minister attended a student association forum yesterday afternoon, making a speech before opening the floor to questions from students.

“I was just in a lecture where we’re doing course evaluations and my lecturer was begging the class to give a positive evaluation to keep her job. We have a $60 million budget hole, why can’t you just fix it?”

Hipkins said there was a lot of demand on the government’s coffers, and they could not cover all of the requests they got.

He offered no policy promises, telling students they would hear them well before the election

“Our rent has increased, the university’s spiralling down. I’m just thinking why on Earth should I be voting for you?” one student asked.

‘Most political answer’
Hipkins said: “I’ll probably give you the most political answer I’ve given you so far. The biggest increase in tertiary funding that we’ve seen in 20 years in this year’s Budget versus a government that actually wants to do the opposite of that.”

But his responses in regards to the National Party did not go over well with multiple students telling him to stop the blame game or saying what the opposing party would not give them, and instead tell them his policies and what he would deliver.

A yellow-suited monkey has become a feature of recent university protests — they want the government to bail out the university to save jobs and courses.

“I have a banana addiction as a monkey, but my Bachelor of Arts is being cut and I think that’s appalling. Millions and millions of dollars are sitting there which could bail out our university for underfunding, but he’s just not spending it, which he needs to,” the monkey said.

Earlier in the day, Hipkins toured KiwiRail’s Hillside Workshops in South Dunedin as it works on a multi-million dollar redevelopment to build a new wagon assembly facility.

Then he swapped a hard hat for a console, visiting three gaming development studios, after announcing $160 million to set up a 20 percent rebate for game developers in the recent Budget.

Hopeful over rebate
Balancing Monkey Games co-founder Sam Barham is hopeful the rebate could help them hire more staff and continue to do what they love.

Currently, he said developers made most of their money straight after releasing a game and then lived off that until they released another one.

“It makes a huge difference in terms of our ability to survive. It’s not the least risky business out there so we’ve got to think about how do we keep going. Our main aim is to still be doing this. It’s a thing that we love doing.”

The details of the rebate will be consulted on, but up to $3 million in rebate funding is likely to be up for grabs per year for individual studios.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

An award-winning professor of sport, leadership and governance has criticised her university’s handling of recent redundancies of 170 academic staff, saying a “rethink” is needed.

Professor Lesley Ferkins, director of Auckland University of Technology’s Sports Performance Research Institute and professor of sport, leadership and governance, told RNZ Nine to Noon that AUT’s senior management had lost the trust of staff.

Interviewed by Kathryn Ryan, Professor Ferkins said that if AUT continued on its current path it would “end in absolute disaster’.

• LISTEN TO RNZ NINE TO NOON: Professor Ferkins talks to RNZ
• ERA knocks back ‘flawed’ attempt by AUT to axe 100 plus academic staff
• ‘A very callous and uncaring process’ – union organiser Jill Jones
• ‘This level of disruption and instability in our lives is just crippling’
• Other AUT academic crisis reports

She said the university needed to draw on the “collective wisdom” of the academic staff.

Professor Ferkins has kept her job in the restructure, but has written an impassioned letter to vice chancellor professor Damon Salesa and the leadership team denouncing the redundancy process as lacking in transparency sound leadership values.

Last month, Professor Ferkins was named the Sport Management Association of Australia and New Zealand (SMAANZ) Distinguished Service Award winner.

Returning to ERA
AUT returned to the Employment Relations Authority today as part of its plans to make 170 academic staff redundant.

Yesterday, after a legal bid by the union representing teaching staff, the authority found the university’s process for issuing redundancy notices was flawed and breached the collective agreement.

It found that volunteers for redundancy should have been called for once specific positions were identified as surplus, but this did not happen.

In a letter to staff yesterday, AUT’s group director of people and culture Beth Bundy said AUT’s view of the findings differed from that of the Tertiary Education Union (TEU).

She said the university would return to the ERA today to seek clarification and hoped to have that by tomorrow.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ. 

The Employment Relations Authority (ERA) has knocked-back an attempt by one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest universities to axe more than 100 staff.

The Auckland University of Technology planned to make 170 academic staff redundant, but the ERA has now ruled that its process was flawed and breached the collective agreement.

Now the school may need to walk back its dismissals, and start all over again.

• LISTEN TO RNZ MORNING REPORT: ‘A very callous and uncaring process’ – union organiser Jill Jones
• ‘This level of disruption and instability in our lives is just crippling’
• Other AUT academic crisis reports

ERA said AUT had called for voluntary redundancies too early, before the institution had even decided which positions to cull.

The Tertiary Education Union (TEU) is celebrating the ruling as a win. However, AUT says the union and the university have interpreted the decision differently and it would be seeking clarification.

Lawyer Peter Cranney, in an email to members of the TEU yesterday, said the ERA was considering a compliance order that would require AUT to withdraw all the notices it had already issued.

“Although a compliance order is discretionary, the [ERA] authority has indicated it will not decline the granting of the order it needed,” he wrote.

“The parties will now have three days to consider the matter; and if a compliance order is necessary, the AUT will need to comply within five days.”

Cranney said any compliance order would be issued by Friday.

Trust difficult to rebuild, says union organiser
TEU organiser Jill Jones said the decision meant people at risk of losing their jobs no longer were.

“It’s great because what it does show is our collective agreement has been respected by the Employment Relations Authority,” Jones told RNZ Morning Report.

But although staff members were “absolutely” thrilled with the decision of the ERA, there was a breakdown of trust with their employer and it would be difficult to rebuild it.

“Its been a long, hard road for these staff members. They’ve paid a very large price.

“These are members that really, really care about their students and the high price that they’ve paid for this bungled redundancy is that lots of things have happened.

“It’s felt as if, to them, it’s been a very callous and uncaring process and it’s going to be difficult to come back from that.”

With issues of trust and many staff feeling targeted and bullied, AUT had a “very big job” ahead to rebuild that trust, she said.

Frances* was one of the unlucky 170 to receive a redundancy letter.

“This level of disruption and instability in our lives is just crippling,” she said.

The ERA decision had not brought much comfort.

“It’s kind of a double-edged sword,” she said. “I’m really happy that we’ve seen some justice be recognised through the court system, but I don’t know what’s going to happen next.”

Frances expected AUT to withdraw her notice of dismissal, but did not expect a happy ending.

“I’m not deluded, they’re still going to come for me I’m sure, but they’ll have to start from scratch and do it properly,” she said.

“That’s all we ask, that this is done properly.”

Poor handling of the situation had destroyed staff morale, she said.

“For three months, I’ve been feeling disengaged, demotivated, angry, upset, waiting, waiting, waiting for this letter,” she said.

“This whole process has been about targeting, humiliating, and bullying people.”

AUT seeks clarification of ‘complex findings’
An AUT spokesperson said the findings were legally complex and it regretted that a “procedural issue” highlighted had made staff more uncertain.

“Although the ERA has published its findings, it has not issued orders.

“AUT’s view of these findings differs from that of the TEU. AUT is endeavouring to clarify and resolve the issue promptly.

“Given the differing views between the parties it will therefore be necessary to return to the ERA tomorrow for clarification on some aspects.”

AUT said ERA’s findings found no bad faith in how it had acted — and AUT had formed a differing view of the collective agreement.

“The ERA has noted that AUT should have identified the specific positions potentially declared surplus and, at this point, written to offer voluntary redundancy to the people in these specified positions.

“Following clarification of the procedural issue we will write to those impacted by the decision to confirm the way forward.”

* Name changed to protect identity. This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ. 

Postgraduate students are petitioning Auckland University of Technology over academic staff cuts — saying it is hugely disruptive and will impact on New Zealand’s research sector.

AUT planned to cut 170 academic positions — those affected had until last Thursday to take voluntary redundancy or face a compulsory layoff.

The petition states the criteria for selecting which staff would go was based on “unjust” and “flawed” performance criteria — something backed by the Tertiary Education Union (TEU) which is taking legal action against AUT on similar grounds.

• LISTEN TO RNZ NINE TO NOON: Academic layoffs at AUT
• The reinstate AUT staff petition
• The TEU legal action against AUT
• More job cuts at AUT
• Māori and Pacific academics at AUT concerned about impact of job cuts
• AUT’s Pacific Media Centre gutted in blow to journalism on the Pacific Islands

The criteria included “teaching” and “research” on disputed grounds, but ignored “supervision” and “community service”, vital components of academic workloads.

The petition says that it is “to reinstate AUT academic staff who have been made redundant based on unjust and flawed performance criteria.

“This decision heavily impacts [on] postgraduate and undergraduate students who were not considered in this process. Numerous academic staff members who are integral to the success of students and the university have been made redundant and we urge the AUT senior leadership team to reinstate them.”

RNZ’s Susie Ferguson talks to TEU organiser Jill Jones, and two PhD students: “Sarah”, and Melanie Welfare, who have both signed the petition requesting AUT reinstate staff.

• Pacific Media Watch reports that the journalism programme, which celebrates 50 years of teaching media tomorrow, is among those sectors hit by the AUT layoffs.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ. 

A former Air New Zealand flight attendant who is now at the frontlines of Auckland’s covid vaccination rollout says it is not a career change she ever anticipated — but one she couldn’t be more proud of.

Coral Davies was made redundant last year after working with Air New Zealand for nearly 33 years.

While a covid-related redundancy isn’t how she would have chosen to leave the industry, looking back she said it gave her time to reflect and see what she wanted to do next.

• READ MORE: Covid-19 update: 75 new community cases in NZ today
• Other reports on NZ covid lockdown

After working at an electoral booth in October, then supervising NCEA exams, she decided retirement wasn’t for her and she wanted to do something in the community that she truly believed in.

That led to her applying to the District Health Board to work at the vaccination sites – and she is now the supervisor at the Albany centre.

She loves it there — welcoming people, answering questions, making sure they have everything they need and that the clinic runs smoothly.

Davies said many of the skills she had developed at Air New Zealand transferred over — particularly around the customer journey and making sure it was a good experience for people.

She is not the only former Air New Zealand staffer there — former flight crew and baggage handlers have also found new jobs using their carefully honed customer care skills.

“I did say to somebody one day – gosh it’s a great job, it’s like being on aircraft without the aeroplane.

“And it’s great to see people walk out going ‘wow that was amazing’ – when actually they’ve come to have a needle put in their arm quite frankly!”

Davies’ care and enthusiasm has gone somewhat viral this week — her daughter Emily visited the clinic to get her own vaccination and tweeted about it, writing:

“Mum was made redundant after 33 years with AirNZ last year and yesterday I got to see her thriving in her new role as a supervisor at a vaccination centre. She treats every person coming in for a vaccine like they’re stepping in to business class. It’s fabulous!”

Mum was made redundant after 33 years with AirNZ last year and yesterday I got to see her thriving in her new role as a supervisor at a vaccination centre. She treats every person coming in for a vaccine like they’re stepping in to business class. It’s fabulous!

— Emily (@EmilyJDavies) August 29, 2021

The tweet has become a bright spot in an online world which can look pretty bleak right now — at last count it had 19,000 ‘likes’.

Davies said the feedback had been overwhelming but also exciting.

“We should be treating people like they’re stepping into business class quite frankly – every person that steps into a vaccination site for their vaccine is actually doing something to keep all of us safe, so from my mind they deserve us to treat them like they are royalty coming into the site.”

Davies stressed she was just one part of a big team making the vaccination rollout happen – and had this advice for anyone facing a similar fork in their career road.

“It may not be where you thought you were going to be in the first place, but it could be just as great and just as much fun.”

• New Zealand’s Ministry of Health reported 75 new cases of covid-19 in the community today. Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield said one of the new cases was in Wellington and the rest in Auckland. Yesterday, 49 new community cases were reported — a fall from Monday.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

Nearly 700 university staff are losing or leaving their jobs in New Zealand because of a financial hole left by falling foreign enrolments.

The eight institutions are missing hundreds of millions in student fees this year because they are expecting no more than 10,000 international students – less than half the normal figure.

Since last year they have been cutting positions and calling for voluntary redundancies or “early leaving” that will run through this year and into the start of next year.

• READ MORE: Other university staff reports

At the University of Auckland 300 people have signed up for a voluntary leaving package, at Victoria University of Wellington 100 have put their hands up for voluntary redundancy, and at each of AUT, Massey and Lincoln more than 70 staff have left or are going.

Only the University of Otago, which limits international students to no more than 15 percent of its total enrolments, has made no cuts at all.

Tertiary Education Union (TEU) president Tina Smith said the cuts were huge and the most experienced researchers were leaving.

“The senior academics are being pushed out, shoved out, encouraged to leave because they want them to be replaced by cheaper options, but that’s not good for the New Zealand students who want to learn,” she said.

Universities ‘over-reacting’
Smith said the universities were over-reacting because domestic enrolments were growing and the institutions had not lost as much money as they had expected.

“Their deficits are down but instead of investing in the quality of education and investing in people they’re making ridiculous, short-sighted, poor management-decision cuts and it’s wrong, it’s really wrong,” she said.

Smith said the fact domestic enrolments could not fill the gap left by foreign students showed that government funding for domestic students was inadequate.

Universities New Zealand director Chris Whelan said universities were enrolling more domestic students this year but that increase would not compensate for the loss of foreign students and their fees.

He said universities could end up with as little as one-third of their usual number of foreign students this year.

“Very roughly, universities, about 13-15 percent of their revenue on average comes from international students, and two-thirds of that we’re missing at the moment because of border closures so universities have some big financial gaps they need to close,” he said.

“Our problem is we didn’t get a first-year intake in most universities last year. That means we don’t have a second-year intake this year and that means we don’t have a third-year intake next year at the same time as we’re missing out on another intake coming through this year.

‘Compounding problem’
“So it becomes a real compounding problem and universities need to make changes earlier in order to avoid having to make really big more dramatic changes later.”

Whelan said the universities’ staff cuts were significant, representing about 3 percent of the sector’s total staffing, and it was too early to say if more might be needed.

Polytechnics reported much smaller staff cuts to RNZ.

The largest were at Weltec and Whitireia, which lost more than 40 jobs, mostly from the closure of its Auckland campus for foreign students, followed by Wintec which reported a reduction of 30 full-time-equivalent positions, more than half through forced or voluntary redundancy.

University job losses
(includes voluntary leaving, voluntary redundancy and forced redundancy)

• University of Auckland – 300
• AUT – 71
• University of Waikato – 25 with eight more under consideration.
• Massey University – 74
• Victoria University of Wellington – 100 expressions of interest in voluntary redundancy
• University of Canterbury – more than 40
• Lincoln University – 72
• University of Otago – 0

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.