The Senate Economic References Committee is hearing evidence on unlawful underpayment of staff in Melbourne tomorrow. The timing is not great for La Trobe U

The LT U Casuals Network will appear before the committee, as an industrial dispute at the university continues.

The campus  branch of the National Tertiary Education Union is disputing with LT U management over money owed to casuals for underpaid work (CMM January 31).

LT U states that after a review of records, staff underpaid over six years until June 30 last had received a total of $3.5m by year end. Identified underpayments outstanding will be made next month.

And the university adds, a review of marking is also underway and it expects people to be paid for work done by April. With this and other payments owing for the second half of 21, the total payment will be “in the region of $2.5m.”

However the union questions management processes and demands “genuine consultation.”

The overall repayment process has taken a while. LT U asked casuals who believed they were underpaid to provide records over a year ago (CMM December 11 2020). But by the following February the Fair Work Ombudsman had requested information on LT U’s “self-reporting of potential underpayments” and the university, “engaged an independent accounting firm to review our practises,” (CMM March 12).