On the eve of an appearance at Senate Estimates, the CSIRO has told staff it plans to cut 100 jobs across its biosecurity and technology research units.
These cuts will further undermine Australia’s sovereign science capabilities, damage staff morale, and add to a mounting redundancy bill which could have been spent on researchers’ wages.
As stated by Greens spokesperson for Science, Senator Vanessa Bleyer:
“It seems the razor gang at CSIRO was not content with cutting climate science jobs in the middle of a climate crisis, and now they are back for more.
“At the same time as research roles are being cut from the biosecurity unit, its remit is broadening to include plant, animal and environmental health alongside human health.
“Surely this would require more researchers, not fewer, particularly as we need to adapt to emerging threats like H5 bird flu.
“This is an organisation which has the money to pay its top executive more than $1 million a year, but won’t expand its staff headcount.
“Australia’s sovereign scientific capabilities must be maintained, and this ongoing campaign of cuts undermines them.”
