ANU Asks Staff to Waive Pay Rise

The Australian National University (ANU) has proposed that staff forgo a 2.5% pay increase scheduled for December as part of a broader initiative to slash $250 million from its budget by 2025, amid financial difficulties exacerbated by declining foreign student revenue. Vice Chancellor Genevieve Bell, who will also take a 10% salary cut, emphasized that this sacrifice could help save jobs, projecting that it could reduce the need for job cuts by $15 million in 2025. However, the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) has strongly opposed this request, arguing that past pay cuts under similar circumstances did not prevent job losses and asserting that the decision reflects poor management. The proposal requires majority approval from staff, with a rally planned to voice dissent against the cuts, which could lead to 638 job losses by early 2026. Despite the financial rationale, union representatives have criticized the lack of consultation and the perceived disregard for staff agreements made less than a year ago.