Wage theft flourishing at Australian universities   
Posted 5 August 2020
National Education Union

An ABC investigation has revealed wage theft is flourishing in Australian universities with at least three elite institutions in the midst of underpayment scandals.

The NTEU is ramping up calls to increase penalties for employers who steal from their workforce and give unions greater powers to prevent the practice.

Revelations include:   

The University of Melbourne faces a series of backpay claims for unpaid wages of at least half a million, ranging well into the millions of dollars. Casual academic employees were being paid ‘piece rates’ for marking rather than being paid for all hours actually worked as required by their enterprise agreement; they were being instructed to attend lectures and not being paid, despite having the entitlement to be paid for this work; they had their teaching reclassified from ‘tutorials’ to ‘practice classes’ to justify being paid less for ostensibly the same work. This happened at faculties including Arts, Fine Arts and Music, Science, and Engineering. The University has admitted liability in each. Back pay claims range as far back as six years.
The University of Western Australia denied appropriate payment for tutorials by describing them as “information sessions” to attract a rate-of-pay between one-half and two-thirds lower than the proper rate. Despite agreeing to an audit of this practice, it is now claiming legal professional privilege over the results.
The University of NSW is conducting a wage theft audit after an NTEU survey of casual academic staff revealed concerns regarding the payment of wages.
“The key driver of wage theft is casual and insecure employment, which is absolutely rife at Australian universities," said Dr. Alison Barnes, NTEU National President. “Approximately seven in ten university workers are insecurely employed, creating a fertile environment for exploitation.

“Wage theft has terrible consequences. It deprives modestly paid casual workers of the income to pay bills, plan for their future or take a basic holiday. We know of cases where members have lost up to half the income they should be entitled to.

“This is widespread in our sector. We need tougher penalties for those who steal from their workers, including criminal penalties.

“Unions need far better access to records including for former employees and non-members. And we need the right to inspect those records quickly, without having to wait 24 hours.

“Australian universities should also be compelled to report accurate figures on casual and limited contract employment. This would provide a much clearer picture of which university employees are likely to be exploited.

cods wrote on Aug 10^th, 2020 at 9:23am:


You think?

The Chancellor of the University of Melbourne is Allan Myers.

As a barrister he represented Kerry Stokes, Lloyd Williams, Alan Bond, John Elliott, Andrew Forrest and Gina Rinehart as well as Citibank and BHP Billiton.

In 2016 he gave $58,500 to the Liberal Party.

cods wrote on Aug 10^th, 2020 at 9:23am:




ONly amongst the teaching staff, not the higher ups.

Jasin wrote on Aug 10^th, 2020 at 10:32am:


Sounds to me like it's time to cut the dead wood and move forward... I'm struck by GregPecc's rendition of the good old 'jobs for the mates' syndrome in play - goes to show how very pervasive this is, and how far behind genuine ability and merit and integrity are, and how the Animal Politic has invaded every aspect of our society as a self-enrichment exercise.

Give a more than clear idea of what our 'society' is actually based on, eh?  And why it can be so hard for people of genuine talent to get ahead despite the endless rhetoric about 'equality' and so forth.