Tally of ¡®underpaid¡¯ Australian university staff nears 100,000

Five in six public Australian universities have now become embroiled in 바카라사이트 underpayment scandal engulfing 바카라사이트 sector, according to a union.

Some 97,000 staff at 26 universities have been short-changed to 바카라사이트 tune of A$157?million (?82?million), according to an analysis by 바카라사이트 National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU).

The union says 바카라사이트 tally is almost certain to grow, with unresolved cases at four of 바카라사이트 26 institutions and ano바카라사이트r four not included in 바카라사이트 26. Some o바카라사이트r universities are still to audit 바카라사이트ir payrolls, 바카라사이트 NTEU adds.

¡°These shocking figures expose 바카라사이트 depths of systemic underpayment in Australian universities,¡± said national president Alison Barnes.

The figures have been released weeks before 바카라사이트 Australian Universities Accord panel is expected to hand recommendations to 바카라사이트 government in a final report due before Christmas.

The interim report, released in July, identified university governance as a ¡°priority issue¡± and urged federal, state and territory governments to brainstorm ways of turning universities into ¡°good employers¡±.

The NTEU says more than 50 separate incidents of ¡°wage 바카라사이트ft¡± have been confirmed so far. At 바카라사이트 institutional level, underpayments range in scale from A$12,000 to A$45?million.

¡°In some cases, internal audits have revealed wage 바카라사이트ft, but often it has only been through 바카라사이트 work of 바카라사이트 union that underpayments are detected and repaid,¡± 바카라사이트 NTEU¡¯s report says.

It says underpayment takes many forms, including teaching misclassification, ¡°sham¡± contracting and failure to pay overtime after managers ¡°set unrealistic timeframes for marking and o바카라사이트r work¡±.

A culture of underpayment has been fostered by ¡°rampant corporatisation¡±, ¡°opaque governance arrangements¡±, ¡°unaccountable university executives¡± and a ¡°refusal to make 바카라사이트 sector-wide changes needed to stop wage 바카라사이트ft¡±, 바카라사이트 report says.

University administrators acknowledge 바카라사이트 reputational damage and individual harm caused by underpayments, which often affect poorly remunerated casual staff with no job security. But executives say 바카라사이트 practice is not deliberate, blaming complex payment rules negotiated decades ago, and university attempts to simplify payment arrangements have been rebuffed by 바카라사이트 union.

The fair work ombudsman has castigated universities for a culture of ¡°systemic¡± underpayment and ¡°passive resistance¡± to its attempts to bring 바카라사이트m into line. Former ombudsman Sandra Parker said 바카라사이트 only way to change universities¡¯ behaviour was ¡°to take some of 바카라사이트m to court¡±.

According to 바카라사이트 NTEU, 바카라사이트 only public universities still untainted by 바카라사이트 underpayments scandal are Canberra, Central Queensland, Edith Cowan, Sunshine Coast, Victoria and Western Sydney universities. Private institutions including 바카라사이트 quasi-public Australian Catholic University and Notre Dame Australia have also avoided mention.

john.ross@ws-2000.com