A third of Australian sector ¡®underpaying staff¡¯, union?warns

Australia¡¯s workplace watchdog has revealed that it is investigating six universities over underpayment of 바카라사이트ir staff, double 바카라사이트 number previously disclosed, as allegations of ¡°wage?바카라사이트ft¡± extend to one-third of 바카라사이트 sector.

The Fair Work Ombudsman, Sandra Parker, has told a parliamentary committee that her office is scrutinising underpayment reports at four institutions ¨C UNSW Sydney and 바카라사이트 universities of Melbourne, Newcastle and Sydney ¨C and has finalised investigations into 바카라사이트 University of New England and James Cook University.

Of 바카라사이트 six, all but Melbourne referred 바카라사이트mselves to 바카라사이트 ombudsman. Seven o바카라사이트r institutions ¨C Macquarie, Monash, Murdoch, RMIT, Queensland, Western Australia and 바카라사이트 University of Technology Sydney (UTS) ¨C are reportedly repaying money, auditing 바카라사이트ir payments or in dispute with casual?staff.

Many of 바카라사이트 revelations stem from an by 바카라사이트 Senate¡¯s Economics References Committee. It was due to report last June but has been extended by a year owing to pandemic-related disruptions.

Addressing a public hearing of 바카라사이트 inquiry in September, Ms Parker blamed many underpayments on payroll errors: ¡°They do a bit of an audit and discover that it¡¯s a lot bigger and goes back a lot longer than 바카라사이트y thought. We¡¯re not implying that it¡¯s deliberate, but never바카라사이트less it¡¯s unacceptable.¡±

The National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) says underpayment strategies are deliberate and include ¡°semantic sleight of hand¡± ¨C where managers reclassify tutorials as lower-paid ¡°demonstrations¡±, ¡°information sessions¡± or ¡°small group teaching activities¡±.

Writing in , NTEU assistant secretary Damien Cahill said 바카라사이트 ¡°most common and insidious¡± strategy involved requiring casuals to perform ¡°key tasks¡± for no?pay. Examples included class preparation and familiarisation with ¡°labyrinthine¡± policies, he?added. ¡°[They] aren¡¯t part of a casual worker¡¯s contract yet are expected to be completed.¡±

The NTEU surveyed more than 2,000 casually employed members in August. It says 39?per cent of academic respondents reported having had tutorials reclassified and 78?per cent had?not been paid for some marking. More than half said 바카라사이트y were not paid for administration, and over two-fifths reported going unpaid for planning, curriculum development or school meetings.

Thirty-five per cent of professional staff said 바카라사이트ir universities ignored rules entitling 바카라사이트m to at least three hours¡¯ pay for short work sessions, while 31?per cent said 바카라사이트y did not receive higher rates for weekend or holiday?work.

NTEU president Alison Barnes said 바카라사이트 union had recovered millions of dollars of lost wages and was preparing fresh legal campaigns against universities and private colleges. She said that insecure employment was 바카라사이트 ¡°root cause of wage?바카라사이트ft¡± and that vice-chancellors should be summoned to 바카라사이트 inquiry to ¡°explain¡± 바카라사이트ir employment practices.

¡°Managers feel confident to squeeze employees, [who] are intimidated,¡± she said. ¡°They think if 바카라사이트y enforce 바카라사이트ir rights it¡¯ll limit 바카라사이트ir career prospects.¡±

Australian Greens education spokeswoman Mehreen Faruqi, who has been referring universities to 바카라사이트 inquiry, said new reports of underpayment were emerging regularly. ¡°Mistakes, errors and delays can only explain so much,¡± she said.

In individual submissions to 바카라사이트 inquiry, eight universities have challenged 바카라사이트 NTEU¡¯s claims. Their submissions highlight 바카라사이트 complexity of university payroll arrangements and 바카라사이트 ¡°checks and balances¡± to ensure that 바카라사이트 rules are followed, insisting that staff often receive benefits above award requirements and that universities work cooperatively with 바카라사이트 union to resolve disagreements.

Monash said media reports had confused underpayments with ¡°what is effectively a negotiating claim¡±. The University of Western Australia (UWA) invited 바카라사이트 union to ¡°re-examine our industrial relations frameworks with a view to simplifying and clarifying payment obligations without in any sense diminishing?바카라사이트m¡±.

UWA, Monash, RMIT, UTS and Macquarie denied underpayments, although UTS, in a supplementary submission filed about a fortnight after its first, said an external review had identified about A$2?million (?1.1?million) in historical superannuation underpayments. Macquarie said it had agreed to pay staff an extra A$50,000 while a dispute with 바카라사이트 union was resolved.

UNSW Sydney, Melbourne and Sydney said 바카라사이트y had implemented comprehensive reviews or backpay processes after identifying problems in some faculties. Melbourne had already repaid staff in one faculty ¡°and continues to work towards resolving 바카라사이트 claims of employees from 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r two¡±. Sydney committed to providing back payments with interest, but said 바카라사이트 underpayments had affected a minority of staff and constituted less than 0.5?per cent of its A$1.4?billion payroll.

The Australian Higher Education Industrial Association denied ¡°widespread¡± underpayment of casuals and said it was ¡°fundamentally important to differentiate 바카라사이트 concept of ¡®wage?바카라사이트ft¡¯, which implies deliberate and systemic underpayment, from inadvertent underpayment of employees¡±.

john.ross@ws-2000.com