Management says it’s working on standards – they may want to explain what they are

Uni Melbourne stopped paying casuals with a PhD a rate for all teaching, including work specified as not requiring a higher degree,  which upset the campus branch of the National Tertiary Education Union.  The cancelled arrangement is, “is consistent with the academic classification and promotion system, under which employees are paid different rates depending on their academic standing,” the union says (CMM March 3).

But the university appears not for moving and so the union has referred the matter to the Fair Work Commission, where CMM suspects management could repeat its previous explanation.

“In some instances, decisions have been made that a PhD is not specifically required for the work, and a lower rate of pay has been applied.  As part of a broader programme of work that we are now initiating, we intend to look in more detail at this issue with a view to developing consistent standards and qualification requirements for casual sessional teaching across all of our faculties,” a Uni Melbourne representative told CMM at the beginning of the month .