Confronting 2021 in a COVID world

Alison Barnes, National President

Alison Barnes, National President

Welcome to the first edition of Advocate for 2021. This year has started in much the same vein as 2020 finished.

The sector is still suffering from funding shortfalls, mainly related to the continued absence of large numbers of international students and the refusal of the Federal Government to allow universities to qualify for JobKeeper payments. Moreover, the funding changes flowing from the Jobs Ready Graduate legislation will be felt within this calendar year. Campuses are resuming face-to-face teaching and related activities, but may be hampered by periodic restrictions as state governments cope with COVID outbreaks.

As with most other aspects of Australian society, things are unlikely to return to a pre-COVID ‘normal’ until most of the population has been fully vaccinated, which may not be completed this year. Jobs and revenue devastated in 2020

Peak body Universities Australia estimates the overall operating revenues of Australian universities fell by $1.8 billion in 2020. It predicts a further $2 billion fall in 2021.

The result has been that more than 17,300 jobs were lost in the sector last year, a figure which is unlikely to include all of the casual and fixed-term positions that have gone from around Australia. Many of those who have lost their jobs face the prospect of losing not only income but a vocation they have invested in. They face all of the stress and upheaval associated with uncertainty. The Morrison Government carries much of the responsibility for these job losses. But for its repeated changing of the rules to prevent public universities accessing JobKeeper, many of these jobs could have been saved. The Government is, however, not solely responsible for job losses and hardship. University managements should be held accountable for their decisions: operating a business model reliant on ripping off a workforce they’ve chosen to casualise and to prioritise capital works over investment in staff and, by extension, students.

Hope for 2021 Despite 2020's pervasive gloom, last year also demonstrated the resilience generated by standing together. This year we must focus on building our workplace structures and our delegate networks. We need to grow our workplace strength by asking our friends and colleagues to stand with us and join the Union.

We want to tell the stories of the people whose jobs were and are affected by COVID and its flow-on effects, as well as the wider stories of the impacts on the culture and fabric of universities and on society more broadly. We need to make the community aware of the crisis tertiary education faces and the damaging implications for future generations of students. We need to build the case for higher education so that the broader community stands with us. Watch out for information from your Branch or State Division about when and how you can get involved, but start talking now to your colleagues who aren’t in the Union!

Stay safe, and best wishes for 2021. ◆