The ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) has called for an urgent federal parliamentary inquiry into university wage theft, which is on track to exceed $382 million nationally.
The NTEU has today released new data showing confirmed underpayments to university staff are now standing at more than $203 million in recent years.
Additionally, universities’ annual reports reveal a further $168 million has been set aside to repay workers for suspected wage theft incidents.
The union estimates there is a further $10 million across three universities which are refusing to reveal the full extent of their underpayments.
While some universities have self-reported to the Fair Work Ombudsman, others have fought tooth and nail against wage theft claims.
NTEU ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ President Dr Alison Barnes said university staff were rightly furious about rampant wage theft.
“Wage theft at our public universities has spiralled beyond a crisis into a national disgrace,” Dr Barnes said.
“Vice-chancellors and senior executives must be held to account for the industrial-scale wage theft that has become the shameful hallmark of Australian universities.
“This extraordinary figure is a damning indictment of the way university staff are being ripped off by their employers.
“University staff will not accept any more empty platitudes – it’s time for vice-chancellors to finally face proper scrutiny for this awful behaviour.
“Wage theft is a crime. Who has lost their job? Who is going to jail?
“We’re calling on all political parties to back an urgent parliamentary inquiry into out-of-control university wage theft.
“Australian taxpayers are being taken for a ride by unaccountable vice-chancellors and senior executives committing wage theft at proportions that would make the private sector blush.”
