Unions fear big job losses at University of Tasmania before Christmas

The university refuses to put a figure on the number of voluntary redundancies it intends to make.

It is also working on a voluntary early retirement package - still under wraps - as it tries to tackle revenue losses of between $60 million and $120 million in 2020-21.

"I can confirm the 200 is not accurate and nor is the idea that we are chasing a set number by Christmas," a UTAS spokesman said.

"We have not been drawn into conversations about targets, and nor will we be."

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National Tertiary Education Union Tasmanian secretary Dr Kelvin Michael was unable to comment on voluntary redundancies because he is on a CODID-19 temporary measures committee where information is confidential.

However, Unions Tasmania want the university to quantify its job losses.

Acting secretary Steve Walsh said it would be "disgraceful" if 200 staff lost their jobs this year.

"The university must come clean and be up front on how many jobs will go during a recession and just before Christmas," he said.

"The federal government needs to be held accountable when it is cutting the university sector across the country."

"Rather than cutting taxes it should be properly funding and supporting universities and education."

A Tasmanian government spokesperson said: "Staffing levels at the University of Tasmania are for the university to confirm. We cannot comment on hypotheticals and speculation."

Labor's Michelle O'Byrne said as Tasmania's only university it was vital the UTAS was adequately funded to provide a full range of courses for students.

"UTAS needed to be properly funded as Tasmania tries to work itself out of our economic crisis," Ms O'Byrne said.

"The federal government has not funded the university sector properly,so UTAS has been forced to embrace a new funding model which will also make it harder for poorer Tasmanian students to go to university."

The university closed applications for its voluntary redundancy program in August and it is believed more than 200 people applied.

Those wanting to take voluntary redundancy are academic and professional staff.

When asked how many staff would be made redundant earlier this year, UTAS vice-chancellor Professor Rufus Black said: "We don't have a target number, because we are aiming to reduce our salary component, so there would be a mix of senior staff and more junior staff.

"So it doesn't make sense for us to do it via headcount. Because we have to do this over a few years, the shortfall will be between $60 to $120 million so we will be able to do that in a range of ways."