The Senate Economic References Committee reports on “unlawful underpayment of employees’ remuneration

The report, published yesterday reinforces claims re universities made in evidence and submissions to this and other Senate committees, (for example, CMM February 23, October 21, March 10 2021, ),

This report sums everything up;

“evidence received by the committee suggested that, in general, universities are unwilling—or at best slow—to take action to reduce underpayments and improve the working conditions of staff, making a mockery of platitudes offered by university management.”

This is more bad news for HE managements whose reputations are hammered by years of reports of underpaying staff.

What is worse are some of the Committee’s recommendations, which are intended to apply across the economy, would have a specific impact on universities. Like criminalising “wage theft” to include loadings and penalty rates, areas where universities have got payments wrong. And looking at allowing “employee representatives that hold ‘right of entry’ permits, “inspect and investigate potential underpayments across workplaces.”