Underpaid, undervalued occasional academics | Bega District News
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Only 2% of casual scholars at 19 Australian universities were deemed eligible for permanent employment, a Senate survey said. The job security inquiry heard Tuesday of casual academic staff at an NSW university feel demoralized, stressed and undervalued because of their precarious employment. But Newcastle University management officials say their hands are tied by obligations under fair labor laws. NSW Tertiary Education Union secretary Damien Cahill said university management was deliberately employing casual workers to minimize the costs and risks of travel. He said casual academic staff were paid at the bottom of the scale and only during the semester itself despite working overtime often. “Universities knowingly and systematically rely on casual staff performing unpaid tasks,” he said. The committee heard that occasional academics often teach, research, and perform community engagement duties, but are not paid for their work. Occasional scholar Chloe Killen said the hours in her contract often didn’t match the hours she would need to commit to the tasks. “It’s humiliating to have to beg to be paid the same salary a permanent employee would get (for the same job),” she said. In September, the university reviewed the contracts of 2,300 casual workers who may be eligible for conversion to permanent employment. Only six staff members received an open job offer. University management told the committee that they are bound by fair labor legislation under which few casual workers meet the criteria for conversion. But they recognized that the criteria did not reflect the dedication and value of casual staff. University Head, People and Culture Martin Sainsbury said one of the challenges was the periodic nature of academic work. He said the university was considering a new model called “periodic employment” that would offer more rights than those to which casual academic staff currently have access. But Dr Cahill rejected the proposal, saying it was another form of precarious and abusive employment, halfway between casual and term jobs. The investigation continues in Canberra on Wednesday and is expected to report to Parliament by February 2022. Australian Associated Press
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Only 2% of casual scholars at 19 Australian universities were deemed eligible for permanent employment, a Senate survey said.
The job security inquiry heard Tuesday of casual academic staff at an NSW university feel demoralized, stressed and undervalued because of their precarious employment.
But Newcastle University management officials say their hands are tied by obligations under fair labor laws.
NSW Tertiary Education Union secretary Damien Cahill said university management was deliberately employing casual workers to minimize the costs and risks of travel.
He said casual academic staff were paid at the bottom of the scale and only during the semester itself despite working overtime often.
“Universities knowingly and systematically rely on casual staff performing unpaid tasks,” he said.
The committee heard that occasional academics often teach, research, and perform community engagement duties, but are not paid for their work.
Occasional scholar Chloe Killen said the hours in her contract often didn’t match the hours she would need to commit to the tasks.
“It’s humiliating to have to beg to be paid the same a regular employee would get (for the same job),” she said.
In September, the university reviewed the contracts of 2,300 casual workers who may be eligible for conversion to permanent employment.
Only six staff members received an open job offer.
University management told the committee that they are bound by fair labor legislation under which few casual workers meet the criteria for conversion.
But they recognized that the criteria did not reflect the dedication and value of casual staff.
University Head, People and Culture Martin Sainsbury said one of the challenges was the periodic nature of academic work.
He said the university was considering a new model called “periodic employment” that would offer more rights than those to which casual academic staff currently have access.
But Dr Cahill rejected the proposal, saying it was another form of precarious and abusive employment, halfway between casual and term jobs.
The investigation continues Wednesday in Canberra and is due to report to Parliament by February 2022.
Associated Australian Press