Latest news with #ANU
ABC News
10 hours ago
- Business
- ABC News
Australian National University announces first round of job cuts as part of effort to turn around financial issues
The first of several rounds of job cuts has been announced by the Australian National University (ANU), as it continues to grapple with its dire financial position. After years of operating deficits, the university has been seeking to make $250 million in savings by the end of the year, including $100 million to come from salaries. ANU Vice-Chancellor Genevieve Bell said the university was now just over halfway towards their salary savings target, made mostly through voluntary redundancies. "This is a hard time for our community and it has been a hard journey," Professor Bell said. "We are going to keep having to make hard choices." The first of several "change proposals" has been released by the ANU, focusing on the institute's Information Technology Services, Information Security Office, and Planning and Service Performance division. A total of 37 jobs are proposed to be cut, representing a reduction of between nine per cent and 14 per cent of staff for each of those three areas. Professor Bell said it was a "difficult day". "I know that is going to be a difficult journey to get us there, but I also know it's the right thing to do for this remarkable place." In coming weeks, proposed job cuts and restructures will be released for the Academic Portfolio, Research and Innovation Portfolio, the College of Science and Medicine, and the College of Arts and Social Sciences. ANU Chief Operating Officer Jonathan Churchill said there would be a consultation period after the release of each change proposal, promising to consult "every step of the way". "Only after considering this feedback will final decisions be made." The university said the number of jobs being cut wasn't representative of the number of affected staff because, in some instances, reductions have been found in vacant roles. Mr Churchill said the ANU had made "every effort to minimise the impact". "We recognise this is an incredibly challenging time for our whole community, but we also need to make changes to ensure we can continue to deliver world-class teaching and research into the future," he said. "We are grateful to our staff and students for their patience, engagement, continued hard work and care for others throughout this process." The National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) ACT division secretary Lachlan Clohesy said the proposed cuts were a "slap in the face to university staff". "These job cuts are the tip of the iceberg," he said. "We're expecting ANU leadership to announce hundreds more job losses by the end of September." Dr Clohesy said there was no financial rationale for job cuts, repeating a call for the vice-chancellor to be sacked. "These cuts, and the broader ANU situation under this vice-chancellor, have completely trashed the ANU's reputation and damaged staff and students. "The vice-chancellor's tenure has been a disaster." Last week, more than 500 ANU staff signed an open letter calling on university leadership to stop plans for further job cuts. The university said it had identified $25 million in non-salary savings so far this year, in areas including travel, software and campus services. "It's important to note that most non-salary savings take longer to realise — for example, having to wait for contracts to expire," ANU Chief Finance Officer Michael Lonergan said. "Further work continues to identify and realise further savings, and we remain confident of reaching our target."
The Guardian
16 hours ago
- Business
- The Guardian
ANU investigates possible hack after vice-chancellor's account liked ‘highly offensive' LinkedIn posts
The Australian National University (ANU) has contacted authorities about a possible hacking incident after its vice-chancellor's account liked a number of 'highly offensive' LinkedIn posts about Gaza and Julie Bishop. One of the posts liked by Genevieve Bell's account was an inflammatory post about Gaza, while another made negative comments about Bishop, the ANU chancellor and a former foreign minister. A spokesperson for ANU said it was made aware on Wednesday morning that Bell's LinkedIn account had been 'compromised'. 'The LinkedIn account had 'liked' certain posts that the VC had never seen,' the spokesperson said. 'Some of the liked content was highly offensive and objectionable to the VC and which are also inconsistent with the values set by the Council for ANU. 'We take this type of behaviour seriously.' Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email An internal investigation was under way, and the matter had been referred to the Australian Cyber Security Centre. The senior reporter for the Saturday Paper, Rick Morton, posted to Bluesky on Wednesday afternoon that he had notified ANU about a series of questionable posts liked by Bell's account. 'The 'likes' were in among normal posts the VC account had liked or reacted to about the work of the university and her former and beloved school, Cybernetics, so it's a very strange one,' he wrote. 'I look forward to what the investigation finds.' The incident comes amid a restructure at ANU to cut about $100m from staff costs via its Renew ANU plan with the goal for a break-even operating result for 2026. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion It also follows a damning report on the institution's culture released late last month. The independent review into ANU's former College of Health and Medicine, led by Prof Christine Nixon, outlined allegations of sexism, racism and entrenched disrespect in the now defunct college, described as sobering reading by Bell. In a statement on Tuesday updating staff on the university's finances, Bell acknowledged it had been a 'really hard period' for the community. 'I know that each of us cares for this place and for our colleagues and students,' she wrote. 'And I know we are trying to have conversations as respectfully and as empathetically as we can because every conversation has ripples to the people and teams they impact. 'And I know we have so much work ahead of us – with the Nixon report, with the changes we are making, with the complexity of the world changing around us that we have to keep navigating.'
ABC News
a day ago
- Business
- ABC News
We asked for workers and got people — inside the temporary visa scheme putting food on your plate
Who picks and processes those yummy strawberries you're about to put in your shopping trolley, or the crisp veggies you might stir-fry tonight? Did you know it could be a nurse or a police officer from a Pacific Island or Timor Leste on a temporary seasonal visa? A workforce we rarely hear about, lives in limbo, and stories from the coalface. From economic gains and cultural exchanges to exploitation and absconding, what are the successes and problems of the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme? Join Natasha Mitchell and guests for this event organised by Griffith University and the Australian National University, and held at the ANU. Speakers Dr Kaya Barry Cultural Geographer, artist, senior lecturer, DECRA Research Fellow Centre for Social and Cultural Research, Griffith University Nunes Cosbar Musician, photographer, horticultural employee in Australia on a PALM visa. Band member with Lian Husi Timor Ken Dachi Coordinator, Welcoming Workplaces with Welcoming Australia Ema Vueti President, Pacific Islands Council of Queensland (PICQ) Thanks also to Dr Matt Withers (ANU South Asia Research Institute) and Dr Kirstie Petrou (School of Humanities and Social Sciences, UNSW Canberra) Further information The Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme Pacific Engagement Visa (PEV) scheme Turbulent Times: The State of Backpacking and Seasonal Farm Work in Australia (2023) Temporary: We Wanted Workers, We Got People photographic exhibition (2025) Home abortions and hiding pregnancy, ANU research reveals hard realities for migrant workers (ABC News, June 2025) RMIT Report reveals grim reality for Australia's migrant meat workers (February 2025) Modern slavery report uncovers dark side to PALM visa scheme leaving vulnerable workers homeless and destitute (ABC News, September 2024) Timorese abattoir workers perform at Port Fairy Folk Festival after call for musos (ABC Australia short film, April 2024)
ABC News
2 days ago
- Health
- ABC News
Breakfast Wrap: Shock as Greens Senator defects to Labor
The post-election rollercoaster ride continues with the defection of Greens Senator Dorinda Cox to the Labor party. Today on the Breakfast Wrap podcast, hear from the Greens party leader Larissa Waters. We also hear from the Labor front bench. A landmark new study finds that Australian men who have a healthy relationship with their father are significantly less likely to commit violence against a partner in later life. The Minister with oversight of the report is Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek. And a New South Wales inquiry into modern slavery has heard of migrant workers living in overcrowded and "unliveable" accommodation and being too afraid of deportation to seek medical care after suffering an injury. It comes as research from the Australian National University uncovered shocking accounts of workers employed on temporary visas hiding pregnancies, attempting home terminations, or spending thousands of dollars to access abortions. Recap the morning's news, politics and global affairs with the Breakfast Wrap
ABC News
4 days ago
- Health
- ABC News
Home abortions and hiding pregnancy, research reveals hard realities for migrant workers
An Australian researcher has uncovered shocking accounts of workers employed on temporary visas hiding pregnancies, attempting home terminations, or spending thousands of dollars to access abortions. Australian National University's Lindy Kanan has been investigating the experiences of workers from Pacific Island countries and Timor Leste employed in Australia under the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility Scheme (known as PALM). Ms Kanan, a senior research officer, conducted dozens of interviews with PALM workers, employers and service providers about experiences of pregnancy, childbirth, contraception and sexual and gender-based violence. The final report, titled "It's not illegal to be pregnant", has outlined systemic issues as well as incidents of PALM participants facing discrimination, coercion, hardship, harassment, assault and difficulty accessing appropriate and affordable health care. Ms Kanan was shocked to hear stories of female workers attempting to terminate their own pregnancies. "When I asked more, I was told that people were drinking certain substances to try to terminate the pregnancy, or using physical means to try to abort it," she told the ABC. Ms Kanan's report did not draw conclusions about how prevalent this practice was, but she noted she had heard accounts from more than one service provider working with PALM participants. Access to legal abortions is limited in many Pacific island nations, and in some cultures, there is stigma and sensitivity around the subject. The ANU report suggested a lack of information about the availability of local abortion services, fear of the costs, or a sense of shame could be factors pushing PALM workers to extreme alternatives. The PALM scheme was originally established to fill worker shortages in rural and regional Australia, predominantly in agriculture and meat processing, while also providing income for Pacific and Timorese workers to send home. More recently the scheme has been expanded to include aged care, hospitality, retail and tourism and a pilot is underway for the childcare sector. However, the PALM scheme has come under significant criticism for putting vulnerable workers in danger of exploitation. Trudi Beck runs a women's health clinic in Wagga Wagga and publicly advertises terminations of pregnancy in an effort to reduce abortion stigma and improve access in her local area. She estimates a quarter of the patients she sees seeking abortions are migrant workers employed in horticulture, meat processing and aged care sectors who are in vulnerable situations. "They're aborting because they need to stay in Australia and work, or because it's an extra-marital pregnancy. And even if they do continue, their health insurance won't cover pregnancy and birth," Dr Beck explained. "While I support a woman's right to choose, I have a moral issue with visa structures that mean a woman has to choose between a pregnancy and supporting her family at home." Dr Beck said migrant workers were often in difficult situations with limited finances and a lack of access to affordable health care. Some of those interviewed for Ms Kanan's report shared stories of PALM workers concealing their pregnancies due to shame, or concern that they would lose work and income. "We saw low engagement with antenatal care because of that," Ms Kanan said. "A number of employers that I spoke to [were] saying, 'we didn't know she was pregnant until she went into labour on the packing room floor'." Tukini Tavui is president of the Pacific Islands Council of South Australia, an organisation that has supported PALM workers in Australia since the scheme's early days. He says sex and pregnancy outside of marriage remains a taboo in many Pacific Island cultures and this adds complications for women reaching out for assistance. "I am aware of cases where some have attempted to abort a child at home, some even out in the fields, so there's some tragic, tragic circumstances," Mr Tavui said. The ANU report included accounts of female PALM workers being subjected to sexual harassment and assault — particularly on sites where workers shared accommodation. "It was very common to hear about male [PALM] participants using alcohol, knocking on the doors of women's accommodation at night and sexual assaults happening as a result of that situation," Ms Kanan said. One service provider in Queensland was quoted in the report as saying: "I support women who are referred for termination of pregnancies … the question that consistently we ask is whether this pregnancy was consensual sex, because I would dare say that most of the pregnancies for these women are sexual abuse. "Who designed this scheme? Who decides that they're going to bring these men and women and put them together in an environment where there's no protection? It's a violation of human rights … you wouldn't have these women falling pregnant and not accessing health support [if it was designed properly]." Mr Tavui said his organisation had been called on to support female PALM workers who had been pressured by their employer for sex in exchange for more work hours and income. "I am aware of one [instance] where it has resulted in a pregnancy and the female had to leave to go back home because they were pregnant," he said. The need for support and protection for PALM workers has been identified as an urgent priority by the Australian Women's Health Alliance. "PALM workers support Australia's agricultural and care sectors, yet they do so under conditions that routinely deny them access to Medicare, reproductive health care, and essential legal protections," it said in a statement. "These harms are not incidental or infrequent. They are symptoms of systemic inequity that must be addressed through cross-jurisdictional policy reform in health, labour, and migration." PALM participants do not have access to Medicare and are required to take out private health insurance policies, which generally have a 12-month waiting period for pregnancy and related healthcare services. Ms Kanan's research found PALM workers who fell pregnant felt vulnerable due to uncertainties about their health insurance coverage, future income, employment, visa status and parenting options. She heard of PALM participants not being covered by insurance for terminations or pregnancy care and facing bills of thousands of dollars. Dr Beck said women who choose to proceed with medical termination of pregnancy, with adjacent services such as sexually transmitted disease screening, cervical screening and contraception, can face out of pocket costs of more than $1,200. "This is a huge financial impost to these women," she said. NIB is the federal government's preferred company contracted to provide private health insurance to PALM workers. But the policy documents on NIB's website do not specify whether abortions or terminations of pregnancy, or any form of contraception, are covered. The company works with the department and PALM scheme employers to provide education on sexual and reproductive health, but Ms Kanan said those opportunities were not widely available. She recommended changes to remove the health insurance waiting periods for pregnancy services and said there was also a need for greater education among PALM workers about the Australian health system. "We're expecting people to seek services the way that other Australians do when that's not necessarily how things are done in the Pacific," she said. "So, I think we need more cultural sensitivity and more information and education around that." Ms Kanan also raised concerns about some countries requiring PALM workers to undertake mandatory pregnancy testing before departure and called for that discriminatory requirement to be scrapped. In a statement to the ABC, a spokesperson for the Department of Workplace Relations (DEWR) said there were "standard health requirements across most visa categories which seek this information" as part of the visa application process. "Then when they are in Australia, I found that it was quite common practice for women to be sacked if they were found to be pregnant and sent back to their home country," Ms Kanan said. Ms Kanan heard stories of women who "absconded" or ran away from their workplaces once pregnant, for fear of returning home due to shame or fear of compromising their health through manual labour. The research found some employers did provide support for pregnant workers but many were unsure of their obligations and some admitted being hesitant about hiring women because of the expense and complications involved if they did get pregnant. One employer said the PALM scheme wasn't set up for "major life events". "Employers need better advice on how to navigate the employment contract if someone is pregnant," the employer in Queensland's horticulture industry said. "[Employers] aren't ready… they don't know anything about pregnancy care for women … they think they need to terminate the employment contract." The DEWR spokesperson said an interdepartmental task force had been set up to "identify strategies to better prevent, deter and respond to disengagement" among PALM workers. "The wellbeing and welfare of PALM scheme workers in Australia is of central importance to the Australian government and its Pacific and Timor-Leste partners," they said in a statement. They added that PALM workers were protected by the same workplace rights and laws as Australians, and were not required to report pregnancy to the department unless it affected their ability to work or in the case of a medical emergency. The spokesperson said DEWR was working on a long-term plan to better support PALM workers while they were in Australia, specifically those experiencing gender-based violence.
