Media Release
Tertiary Education Union
8 June 2009

Unsurprising end to Lincoln-AgResearch merger

“We’re not surprised that the Lincoln - AgResearch merger has been abandoned,” said TEU national secretary Sharn Riggs.

“We’ve felt throughout the last few months that staff at Lincoln University were not being shown enough information from the consultation process to indicate that it was viable and had been fully thought through.”

“The alternative knowledge partnership model, with the two organisations remaining as separate entities seems like a better and safer model for workers as well as preserving the particular research and teaching functions of both institutions. Working collaboratively never needed a merger anyway.”

Members of the TEU were becoming increasingly concerned that meaningful information about the merger was difficult to obtain and that genuine consultation was not occurring in an open way. A planned meeting between union representatives, and the employers of both AgResearch and the university was cancelled at the last minute last week.

“The question that remains lingering now though is what lies in the future? Lincoln’s leadership team needs to work with the government now to reassure students, staff and the local communities that it is a credible institution that will continue to provide the high quality learning and research that it is currently known for. With the right support it can do all those things without merging with other institutions,” concluded Ms Riggs.

ENDS