The university underpaid some staff’ super for a max six years. It promises to pay it back, plus 10 per cent interest

HR head Fiona Reed has written to relevant staff, explaining the underpayment is due to “a mistaken but good faith, interpretation of the combined effect of our Collective Agreement and the UniSuper Trust Deed.” She assures staff that salary, allowances and loadings are not involved, just super.

The ten per cent interest is an approximation of UniSuper’s investment options over the period involved.

A university spokesperson advises there are 2800 people getting payments, ranging from $20-$30 to a handful who are owed in “the tens of thousands.” The median is $130.

LT U is not alone in stuffing-up super. Swinburne U underpaid two different sets of super last year (CMM May 8 and September 25 2018). Uni Newcastle commissioned a review of “potential anomalies” in super payments, (CMM July 27 2018) and in 2017 the University of Wollongong reported it had got superannuation payments wrong for 30 per cent of staff over eight years (CMM April 5 2017).