University of Tasmania Apologises for Underpaying Staff

Australian banknotes in Melbourne, on Nov. 7, 2017. (Paul Crocker/AFP via Getty Images)

The University of Tasmania (UTAS) has issued an apology for underpaying staff and promised to settle the amounts owed to current and former employees with interest.

Jill Bye, the Chief People Officer of the university, said in a media release that the underpayment problem occurred due to inconsistent practice and different interpretations of complex staff agreements that existed across the university.

The higher education provider has told its workers that it is reviewing the above issues.

“First of all, I want to say sorry. Our people are central to who we are as an institution and what we do,” Bye said in a statement.

“Our commitment is that we will be open with people and put things right.

“Once the review is finalised, we will communicate with any current and former staff who may be impacted. We will ensure that employees are paid any amounts owing, with interest.”

According to the university, the underpayments under investigation fall into two main areas: minimum engagement periods and penalty rates not being correctly applied.

The University of Tasmania also said it was among several institutions in the education sector that tackled historical issues of underpayment.

People walk past a sign for RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, on Dec. 11, 2007 (William West/AFP via Getty Images)

Last November, RMIT University in Melbourne consented to repay millions of dollars to thousands of casual academic staff after the National Tertiary Education Union lodged a dispute.

This time, the union said that the University of Tasmania’s practice of underpayment began as early as the 2013/14 financial year.

“These underpayments potentially affect hundreds of UTAS staff over a number of years,” Tasmanian branch secretary Pat McConville said. “These underpayments may be just the tip of the iceberg.”

The union also said that casual employees accounted for about half of the UTAS labour force, and nearly 70 percent of the workers had insecure jobs.

The Epoch Times reached out to the Tasmanian Department of Education, but was told that while the department of education had a working relationship with UTAS, it was inappropriate for the department to comment on the issue.