Casual Academics at Monash University Rally Against Wage Theft

Casual academics at Monash University are holding a rally today at Clayton campus to protest wage theft at Monash University. The rally will be at the Ceremonial Lawn on the University’s Clayton Campus Thursday October 6, between 12 and 1pm. Many teachers at the University are not being paid for scheduled classes taught with students. The National Tertiary Education Union has lodged a proceeding against Monash University in the Federal Court over the matter. The scandal involves unpaid teaching consultations with students. Academic staff are being directed to hold regular office hours with students throughout semester. These consultations are not being paid. The University has so far refused to resolve the dispute, instead taking their own employees to the Fair Work Commission to seek clarification over the matter. The Monash Casuals Network of the Monash Branch of the NTEU has responded by calling a rally for all staff and students to hear about deteriorating conditions on campus. Monash University is one of Australia’s largest universities, with a budget of more than $3 billion last year. It posted a $416 million consolidated operating surplus before tax in 2021. Quotes attributable to Giles Fielke (Casual Academic, MADA & Branch Committee Member NTEU): “For the past six years I have been expected to be available for students to meet and discuss their progress one on one, throughout semester. None of this work is paid separately to the tutorial time I am paid to teach a class, even if the consultation occurs on completely different days of the week. A consult on a Wednesday is not contemporaneous with a class taught on a Monday.” Quotes attributable to NTEU branch President, Dr Ben Eltham: “Casual academics at Monash University are passionate about teaching and the welfare of their students. They deserve to be paid for their teaching, just like any other worker in our economy.” “Monash University claims it aims to offer highest international quality education. But you can’t have high quality education if you don’t pay your teachers. While the Vice-Chancellor takes home $1.3 million a year, casual academics are barely making ends meet. Students paying high fees would be horrified to learn their teachers are not being paid properly for the classes they teach.”