campusreview . com . au
NEWS
Being casual affects your whole life ’ s ability to go ahead .
“ Suddenly we had a deposit payment for a home , we never imagined that we could work in the higher education sector and save for a home deposit ,” Jess said .
“ Little did we know that that ’ s because we ’ re being underpaid .”
Jess believes the university is now focusing on their “ legal obligations ” rather than “ staff wellbeing ” and said she would like to see casualisation tackled throughout the different faculties .
“ I think they need to look more widely at casualization and the way it ’ s affecting people ’ s whole lives ,” she said .
A spokesperson from UniMelb told Campus Review that the university recognises current workforce structures which rely too heavily on casual employment .
“ We are currently designing a comprehensive program of work to reduce our reliance on casual employment , to rethink our workforce model and improve our employment practices ,” they said . “ This is an issue we are also discussing with the NTEU in the enterprise bargaining process currently under way .”
Back payments for current and former casual employees at the University of Melbourne will continue over the coming months , with additional tranches of payments to be made progressively . ■
for leSS than $ 5 a week
The laTesT news and resources for professionals in The higher educaTion indusTry
Campus Review is Australia ’ s only publication dedicated exclusively to the higher education industry , making it an essential read for those working in the sector .
• Exclusive coverage of higher education news
• 12 issues per year
• Tax-deductible
• Widely-respected industry magazine that consistently portrays the sector accurately
• Written by an independent voice
7