On Tuesday 11 August PSA members at the Art Gallery of NSW learned why a HR consultant had been darkening the doorways of the gallery’s offices for the past six months. And it was worse than they had expected, with 51 jobs to go.

There has been significant coverage of these cuts in the Australian media, coming after the NSW State Government just announced cuts to Transport for NSW, WaterNSW , the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, and Create NSW.

Why so many jobs at the state’s most significant art institution?  The CEO states in the Change Management Plan “it’s become apparent that a reduction in staff roles is necessary to secure a sustainable future for the institution”. 

Chief Executive Maude Page also claimed the gallery has been operating with staffing levels above those of comparable institutions.

“Our members at the Art Gallery are certainly not sitting around with nothing to do,” said PSA General Secretary Stewart Little. “They’re as overworked as they’ve ever been, and there are many unfilled roles there.”

The Art Gallery is reducing its senior executive service roles by one in this restructure. However, the gallery has one of the smallest executive teams already in the cultural sector.

“The PSA is meeting with members at the Art Gallery over the next four weeks of the consultation period and will work with delegates and members to provide alternative means of achieving savings, which do not involve sacking 51 staff members,” said Mr Little.