‘We have had enough’: thousands of University of Sydney staff walk off the job over AI and job security

Thousands of staff at the University of Sydney walked off the job on Wednesday, staging a 24-hour strike to protest against the institution's handling of artificial intelligence and concerns over job security. The walkout followed the release of an internal survey showing that 0% of faculty in the arts and social sciences department trusted the university to act in the best interests of staff, students, and the broader community. This low level of trust, combined with longstanding worries about AI usage, workload fairness, and job security, prompted approximately 2,000 workers to participate in the strike. At dawn, around 500 individuals gathered at picket lines at each entrance of the inner Sydney campus, waving flags, banners, and using megaphones to make their case. The strike led to the disruption of nearly all scheduled classes, with the university advising students that almost all courses would transition to online delivery. Some classes were rescheduled or outright canceled. Peter Chen, the branch president of the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) at the University of Sydney, criticized the university's management for consistently rejecting union proposals aimed at ensuring proper safeguards regarding AI implementation. Chen described higher education as the "canary in the coalmine," suggesting that how institutions handle AI could set a precedent for the wider economy. He emphasized that the union is seeking "best practice" and "due diligence" in AI deployment rather than prioritizing commercial interests or venture capital gains. Vince Caughley, the New South Wales division secretary of the NTEU, noted that the university’s own green paper acknowledged AI as the most transformative shift in education, citing existing uses of AI chatbots in online instruction at other universities. Caughley expressed confidence that the union could reach an agreement with management within the coming year, though he raised concerns about the absence of key senior leaders, such as Provost Annamarie Jagose, from negotiations. The current round of industrial action marks the longest-running dispute at an Australian university, with ongoing discussions about potential future strikes. The NTEU branch representing the University of Sydney is the largest in the country, and its grievances reflect broader issues affecting the tertiary education sector. A university spokesperson stated that the institution continues to engage with the union and views the strike as premature. They affirmed their commitment to an ethical, human-centered approach to AI, emphasizing that guardrails and principles governing AI use have been developed in collaboration with the university community. While acknowledging shared goals with the union, the spokesperson argued that implementing many of the union’s demands through policy changes rather than direct negotiation would be more effective. Broader concerns extend beyond AI, encompassing rising class sizes, declining student satisfaction, and proposed changes to academic roles that eliminate research opportunities. Prof Laura Shepherd, a member of the bargaining team in the School of Social and Political Sciences, highlighted the financial investment students make in their education, noting that many spend upwards of $50,000 on their degrees. She stressed that students come to the university for high-quality education and access to leading researchers, and warned that any compromise on these values would be unacceptable. The university has historically been a hub for activism, and recent months have seen tensions escalate over its stance on Gaza and associated restrictions on protests. In 2024, a pro-Palestine encampment drew significant attention, particularly during a royal commission investigation. New restrictions were introduced in response to this situation, further complicating the institutional landscape. These developments underscore the complex challenges facing the university as it navigates both educational and political pressures.