The National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) called on University of Wollongong management to discuss suspected upcoming redundancies with staff.

A union representative confirmed  staff members had  been advised to receive both voluntary and forced redundancies with the majority coming from the Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health. 

‘‘We have sought to meet with affected members and management,’’ an NTEU spokesman said. UOW would not reveal how many jobs would be lost or if  redundancies had begun, saying it was ‘‘premature’’ to speculate.

The university confirmed it had begun consultations with academic and general staff to improve operation efficiency with proposals ‘‘that may have an impact on various staff roles in parts of the organisation’’.

‘‘The university is working hard to future-proof its operations so it is financially fit for both the challenges and the opportunities that are emerging in the higher education sector in Australia and abroad,’’ a spokesman said. 

The university replaced traditional manufacturing industries in the Illawarra as a major employer in the region in the 2000s.

UOW employs 2215 staff, making it the region’s second largest non-government employer.