VC Rufus Black announces a 4.6 per cent increase this month, plus there’s one-off $1000 payment for people earning under $80 000 a year
“Part of paying people fairly is recognising that we are in an inflationary environment and cost of living pressures are affecting everyone,” Professor Black told staff late Friday.
He adds the university is acting in-line with the Fair Work Commission, which has increased pay under awards.
The announcement comes outside enterprise agreement negotiations now underway. There is no word on how this administrative pay-rise will shape management’s offer for the two subsequent years covered by the agreement however Friday’s announcement is in-line with the National Tertiary Education Union’s April demand for a bigger pay rise. The union originally called for 12 per cent over three years, but has increased this to 15 per cent.
This is a bold move by Professor Black.
By appealing directly to staff he may hope to erode the union’s authority in negotiations. The NTEU responded to the news late Friday that “announcing new claims without talking to the union shows disrespect for bargaining.” Management need to listen when we say key employment conditions need improving. Reducing workloads, making jobs secure, genuinely consulting and protecting academic freedom are core issues for our members, NTEU Tasmanian State Secretary Ruth Barton says.
The vice chancellor might also hope to take some of the heat out of the forthcoming Legislative Council inquiry into pretty much everything at the university – if campus is content-ish he will be better positioned to respond to community criticism of the relocation of much of the university from Sandy Bay to the city – on which he cannot be for turning.
Professor Black’s decision also establishes a precedent for the union at other universities. This will be bad news for VCs hoping to stick to pre-inflation pay offers. If U Tas can find the money for an inflation-acknowledging pay rise VCs of institutions running surpluses in the ten and hundreds of millions may struggle to cry poor with straight faces .