Another Senate hearing, another bad for unis

The Economics References Committee inquiry into unlawful underpayment of employees heard evidence from university casual staff yesterday.  One witness, Yaegan Doran has called for, “a regular, independent government audit of the actual hours casual staff work in comparison to what they are paid.” “University managers cannot be trusted to audit their own payment regimes,” he suggests.

The hearing added to the continuing catastrophe that admissions  of underpayment of casuals is for multiple university reputations.  Senator Faruqi (Greens NSW) was not impressed with casual staff reporting how they are treated.

Neither was Senator Scarr (LNP Queensland) as he heard a claim that gift-cards had been proposed as payment for work by casuals. And he had no doubt who was responsible “it came back to the leadership of universities,” he said.