'Hunger Games': university to slash $5.58 million with first job cuts

By Madeline Link
Updated August 4 2025 - 9:46am, first published 5:30am

STAFF have likened job cuts at the University of Newcastle to the "Hunger Games", as they are forced to compete against their colleagues for remaining positions.

Internal documents seen by the Newcastle Herald reveal the Academic Division is first on the chopping block, with cuts expected to save the university $5.58 million and affect more than 50 positions.

Of those, about 30 occupied positions will be cut, 11 vacant positions will be done away with, and 11 fixed-term contracts will not be renewed when they expire.

The university's (UON) own documentation claims the Academic Division plays a "pivotal role" in supporting students and staff while "shaping the future of teaching, learning and academic success".

National Tertiary Education Union Newcastle branch president Terry Summers said the union was trying to support staff as best it could to minimise the impact.

"Anytime that people are going to lose their jobs, they get very nervous," he said.

"Staff are worried, of course, really, really worried."

With a goal of $20.6 million in cost-cutting this year, more job cuts at the university are expected to be in the pipeline.

UON's 2024 Annual Report shows its operating result, including controlled entities like NUSport, was a surplus of $61.3 million.

The university's adjusted operating result, which excludes non-core activities or one-time events like grants, donations, investment and commercial income, shows a deficit of $16.3 million.

UON vice-chancellor professor Alex Zelinsky said the proposed changes in the Academic Division were part of its 'Business Improvement Program' aimed at getting costs and spending "back in line".

"In reducing our costs, our goal is to minimise the impacts on people," he said.

"We've focused first on improving our operations and, critically, we've sought to remove vacant positions or find savings through options like early retirements."

Professor Zelinsky said the university proposed to introduce 17.8 new roles, and where new or different positions had been created, affected staff could choose redundancy or be redeployed.

He said staff in the Academic Division had received information about the proposed changes and would have the opportunity to provide feedback.

"Ensuring our staff are well-informed and supported during any proposed change is a key priority," he said.

"Affected staff will receive detailed communication from their leaders about what any proposed changes mean for them, and we'll keep staff updated and communicate with them first regarding any changes in other parts of the organisation."

UON documents show that about 10 staff on fixed-term contracts will continue in their roles on a permanent basis, and structure changes will see staff shifts across the division.

Staff losing their jobs could be gone as soon as September, with all cuts expected to be made by December.

In areas where a number of people do the same job but a position is cut, staff will have to put in an 'Expression of Interest' to reapply for their role, in what the university calls a 'ring-fenced' process.

Mr Summers said the "spill and fill" arrangement forced employees to compete against their colleagues for a job.

"The vice-chancellor doesn't like the word 'Hunger Games', and I've never seen the movie, but people tell me it's like that," he said.

"You're all competing for the same spot, like musical chairs or something, so I think that's how it's going to work.

"It's quite a horrendous process, you've got your workmates competing against each other for the same bloody jobs, it's horrible."

The university will hold an all-staff forum on Wednesday, where Professor Zelinsky will provide employees with an update.