The University of Western Australia has come under scrutiny after revealing that its staff have been underpaid superannuation entitlements since 2013, resulting in a significant financial blow of $10.6 million owed in payments. This discovery has impacted 5500 former employees and 2700 current staff members at the institution.
The discrepancy in payments was uncovered during a review of superannuation entitlements by the university, where it was found that there were shortcomings in the application of the 17 per cent super contribution on certain allowances and leave entitlements. The university promptly reported the issue to the Fair Work Ombudsman and is now in the process of rectifying the situation by reimbursing affected employees.
In response to the situation, the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) has called for urgent reforms and criticized the university for what they term as “wage theft”. The union highlighted the need for state and federal governments to hold university executives accountable for such discrepancies, emphasizing that this underpayment scandal is just one in a series of issues plaguing Australian universities.
Despite the apologies issued by UWA’s vice-chancellor, professor Amit Chakma, citing unintentional discrepancies due to differing interpretations, the incident sheds light on the importance of ensuring fair and accurate payment of staff entitlements within educational institutions.
