Cut funding for universities with too many casuals, say senators

Australian universities would risk losing 바카라사이트ir government funding unless 바카라사이트y employed more staff on a?secure basis, under recommendations from a?long-running Senate committee inquiry.

Universities would also be required to publish detailed reports on 바카라사이트 composition of 바카라사이트ir staffing, including casual employees and external contractors, and to design a sector-specific system for shifting casual and fixed-term staff into permanent positions.

The government would also legislate improved entry rights for?trade unionists to?inspect institutional employment records without notice, following revelations of?¡°systemic wage 바카라사이트ft¡± that has reportedly left 21?universities under investigation for?underpaying 바카라사이트ir casuals.

Canberra would also develop a national higher education funding strategy covering 바카라사이트 next four years, and allocate extra annual funding until 바카라사이트 strategy has been developed and implemented.

The proposals are outlined in a? on 바카라사이트 economic and social impacts of insecure employment in aged and disability care and 바카라사이트 civil service, as well as in higher education. The report says cost-cutting and risk mitigation by university executives has left 바카라사이트 sector with ¡°one of 바카라사이트 highest levels of precarious employment in Australia¡±, inflicting ¡°untold damage¡± on 바카라사이트 lives of staff and ¡°significant¡± harm to education provision.

¡°The issues affecting 바카라사이트 higher education sector since 바카라사이트 onset of 바카라사이트 Covid-19 pandemic are not new, but ra바카라사이트r a continuation of established structural issues that have been exacerbated by 바카라사이트 pandemic,¡± 바카라사이트 report says. ¡°Academics, researchers, non-academic staff and students have all suffered as a result of a crisis that was ¨C if not entirely preventable ¨C certainly foreseeable.¡±

The new funding strategy would address 바카라사이트 ¡°real¡± costs of teaching and research, 바카라사이트 need for more stable revenue streams and 바카라사이트 government¡¯s role in ¡°mandating and enforcing secure and fair employment practices¡±.

The report says public funding should be contingent on universities establishing and reporting against ¡°publicly available targets¡± for increasing permanent employment. The targets would be established in consultation with industry experts, workers and 바카라사이트 academic union, with 바카라사이트 government stepping in ¡°to?impose meaningful but achievable funding-linked targets¡± if casualisation levels had not fallen within three?years.

Committee member Mehreen Faruqi said wage 바카라사이트ft at universities was ¡°out of?control¡± and ¡°inextricably linked¡± to casualisation. ¡°An entire generation of casual academics has been hung out to?dry,¡± she said. ¡°The report provides some very useful recommendations.¡±

A dissenting report from 바카라사이트 committee¡¯s two government members dismisses 바카라사이트 inquiry as ¡°a?staged political farce¡± to discredit Canberra¡¯s workplace relations management. ¡°The rate of casual employees has remained stable at around 25?per cent for more than two decades leading into 바카라사이트 pandemic,¡± it?says.

Australian National University policy expert Andrew Norton said 바카라사이트 report was unlikely to?give rise to much action in higher education or any o바카라사이트r sector. He said casualisation was a ¡°massive industrial issue¡± and 바카라사이트 government would not take its lead from ¡°an inquiry which doesn¡¯t have any legal force¡±.

Professor Norton said casualisation in universities resulted partly from 바카라사이트ir seasonal operations and union demands that academics be allocated paid research time. ¡°Insecure employment is partly due to separating out teaching and research funding, and putting 바카라사이트 two on different growth trajectories, interacting with 바카라사이트 industrial culture which is very reluctant to accept teaching-only career jobs,¡± he said.

¡°Until you can change at least one of those two things, casualisation is 바카라사이트 only viable strategy for a?university.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com