The head of Australia's science agency has refused to "speculate" on the total number of job cuts expected, as the union warns hundreds of jobs could be on the line.
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The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation in April confirmed to The Canberra Times it was planning to cut jobs across two different areas, citing "a need to simplify".
It was later revealed that CSIRO offered webinars to staff facing job cuts on how to channel their feelings "in a more helpful way".
Consultation is ongoing, but the union for CSIRO staff fears up to 400 jobs could be cut from the enterprise services division, with the agency acknowledging it will need to bring labour and operating costs down 25 per cent by July 2025.
This affects those working in IT, HR, communications, business development, facilities management and finance roles.
Asked about the cuts to this area in Senate estimates on Thursday evening, CSIRO chief executive Doug Hilton said it would not be appropriate to speculate while consultation was ongoing.
About 70 research positions are also likely to be cut from other areas, including health and biosecurity (40), agriculture and food (30) and manufacturing (five).
Dr Hilton said the agency was looking "to refine the capability that we have".
"As you would understand, science priorities change, national priorities change, and not all scientists have exactly the same skills," Dr Hilton said in response to a question from independent senator David Pocock.
"And it's important to be able to refine the capabilities that we can deploy to the most important problems that the nation faces."
'Minister, can I ask you what's going on here?'
While Dr Hilton referenced ongoing consultation with the CSIRO Staff Association - a section of the Community and Public Sector Union - the union says its members have reflected sourly on the process.
A snap poll of 658 members found only 12 per cent thought the executive was engaging in meaningful and genuine consultation.
Senator Pocock questioned Assistant Minister for Trade Tim Ayres, who appeared for the Industry Minister in the estimates hearing, over Labor's commitment to scientific research.
"Minister, can I ask you what's going on here?" Senator Pocock asked, indicating that job cuts were "clearly a funding issue".
"We're hearing from the CSIRO, the much loved and respected CSIRO, that they are cutting dozens of researchers at a time when arguably we couldn't be facing more challenges as a country?"
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Senator Ayres responded that funding for CSIRO had "stayed relatively static", and said he "would be very surprised" if the agency was making cuts to priority areas.
Funded positions for the agency did drop in the May 2024 budget by 143 (Average Staffing Level).