News of the cheque is in the mail

VC Duncan Maskell’s apology to underpaid casual academic staff (CMM Friday) was not heard by all of them. Learned readers were quick to point out that as former staffers they have no current Uni Melbourne email and first heard about the apology and repayment from the media. Others, they suggest, may not have heard at all.

So CMM asked what Uni Melb is doing to reach people owed at least the apology and the university replied that it had already taken “extensive steps” to contact past casuals via email and post, plus the VC’s statement is on the website. “When and how we communicate to current and past staff on employment issues arising from the casual academic underpayments remains a matter of constant review and action by the university.”