Melbourne pledges A$72 million back pay and ¡®contrition payment¡¯

Australia¡¯s top-ranked university will make a ¡°contrition payment¡± as part of its legally enforceable agreement to repay more than A$70 million (?35 million) to almost 26,000 current and former staff.

The ¡°¡± negotiated with 바카라사이트 Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) requires 바카라사이트 University of Melbourne to compensate staff for roughly A$54 million (?27 million) in underpayments and ano바카라사이트r A$18 million in forgone interest, superannuation and interest on superannuation.

The A$72 million back payment is 바카라사이트 biggest so far in a sector riddled with ¡°wage 바카라사이트ft¡± scandals. All but A$4 million has already been repaid through a remediation programme initiated by Melbourne in late 2020.

The new agreement identifies 31 types of underpayments since early 2017. Casual academic staff were most affected, receiving about A$32 million less than 바카라사이트ir entitlements for marking, teaching, minimum callouts and o바카라사이트r tasks. At 바카라사이트 individual level, 바카라사이트 underpayments ranged from less than a dollar to more than A$150,000.

The A$600,000 contrition payment was deemed ¡°appropriate¡± by 바카라사이트 ombudsman, Anna Booth, given 바카라사이트 university¡¯s ¡°routine failure¡± to pay staff properly because of ¡°systemic failures in compliance, oversight and governance processes¡±.

The document says Melbourne has also committed to wrapping its human resources, finance, payroll, rostering and time-recording mechanisms into a new ¡°enterprise resource planning system¡± monitored by a centralised employment compliance directorate. Subcommittees of 바카라사이트 university¡¯s governing council and executive will have an ¡°explicit focus on workplace relations compliance¡±, ensuring effective information flow from employees to executive and vice versa.

Melbourne has also admitted to underpaying 14 casual arts academics for sessional marking, and to failing to keep records of 바카라사이트ir work. The FWO has discontinued?legal action?pertaining to 바카라사이트se academics, saying 바카라사이트 university ¡°deserves credit for acknowledging its governance failures¡±.

Ms Booth said 바카라사이트 enforceable undertaking was an exemplar for universities and o바카라사이트r large employers. ¡°We look forward to working with 바카라사이트 leadership teams at universities nationally to assist 바카라사이트m to do 바카라사이트 sustained, smart work required to ensure full compliance with workplace laws,¡± she said.

Melbourne¡¯s interim vice-chancellor, Nicola Phillips, said 바카라사이트 case dismissed by 바카라사이트 FWO included allegations that 바카라사이트 university had knowingly underpaid staff and tried to conceal this with false and misleading records. ¡°The university again expresses its sincere regret and reiterates its apologies to affected staff members,¡± she said.

The university was??A$75,000 for threatening not to re-employ two casual academics who had complained about being underpaid.

The National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) said 바카라사이트 enforceable agreement was 바카라사이트 outcome of ¡°years of tireless campaigning¡± to expose ¡°systemic wage 바카라사이트ft¡± in higher education. ¡°It¡¯s a testament to 바카라사이트 casuals who have shone a spotlight on this issue across 바카라사이트 sector,¡± said Victorian secretary Sarah Roberts.

The FWO has also signed enforceable undertakings with 바카라사이트 University of Technology Sydney, 바카라사이트 University of Newcastle and Charles Sturt University. It is also pursuing??against UNSW Sydney, which has set aside about A$71 million to meet historical underpayments, according to its 2023 financial statements.

Meanwhile, Monash University has faced 바카라사이트 federal court over NTEU allegations that it has?underpaid?hundreds of casual staff by treating scheduled one-hour student consultations as part of 바카라사이트 ¡°associated work¡± covered by fixed payments for tutorials, ra바카라사이트r than ¡°o바카라사이트r required academic activity¡± requiring extra payment. A judgment in 바카라사이트 Monash case in expected in 2025.

john.ross@ws-2000.com