If a system-wide approach on casual cnversion won’t work it could be up to individual universities

At Western Sydney U no casual staff will be converted to continuing employment under the new Fair Work Act rules. But 71, out of 1100, have won job security under the university’s enterprise agreement.

With a new EA being negotiated, union leader David Burchell says insecure employment, is “the head of our log of claims and that “this is the right historic moment to address this historic ill.”

He isn’t alone in wanting change. VC Barney Glover points to universities present “very difficult financial position” but adds, “we do need, both at an institutional level and where possible across the sector, to develop new approaches to reduce high levels of casualisation.”