“The best estimate is that this would mean that between 200 and 300 jobs across the university would not have to be lost,” Professor Maskell told staff,who are set to vote on a proposed variation to their enterprise bargaining agreement next week.
The staff covered by the agreement received the pay rise last month but are being asked to forgo the increase until May 2021.
“If you choose to do this,it would be a real contribution that you would be making to your colleagues,and to the future of the university,” Professor Maskell wrote.
The National Tertiary Education Union has urged staff to vote no to the proposal.
The union's national president,Alison Barnes,said university vice-chancellors were"engaging in aggressive and crude cost-cutting rather than supporting the future of research and learning in this country".
Delegates of the National Tertiary Education Union's Melbourne University branch have been meeting via Zoom with staff this week to discuss the EBA variation,including concerns it erodes existing redundancy entitlements.
Under the proposed variation,staff who take a voluntary redundancy would receive a less generous payout than those who are forced into redundancy.