Media release – Ilaria Stollberg, Fair Go for PhD group, 27 November 2024

Struggling PhDs furious over UTAS Vice-Chancellor’s astronomical salary

PhD candidates are outraged by the newly revealed UTAS Vice-Chancellor Rufus Black’s $1.11 million salary.

This comes after UTAS has continually refused to raise the PhD stipends, which are currently $5 per week above the poverty-line.

“We are furious that UTAS leadership has chosen to ignore the serious financial insecurities faced by their PhD candidates and instead maintain exorbitant salaries for themselves,” says Fair Go For PhDs (FGFP), a group of UTAS PhDs campaigning for better conditions.

“PhD students are struggling immensely under the cost-of-living crisis. Many of us are one medical emergency away from bankruptcy.”

The new salary figures have been released by the National Tertiary Education Union’s Ending Bad Governance – For Good report. It finds that UTAS Vice-Chancellor is paid over three times as much as Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff.

“We all know that UTAS is struggling financially and understand that cuts have to be made across the university,” says FGFP.

“However, we cannot understand how UTAS can justify paying the executive team such mind-boggling amounts of money, while many PhDs have to dumpster dive to put food on the table.”

“We are working on our PhDs on a full-time basis, with four weeks of leave per year, just like a full-time job,” says FGFP.

“Despite this, PhD stipends are well below minimum wage, and often level with the poverty line. We would like to see UTAS make a genuine effort to lift their PhDs out of poverty, because UTAS clearly has the resources to do so.

“Failing to do so will mean Tasmanian higher education, but also careers in industry and academia, will become increasingly out of reach to many.”

Media release – National Tertiary Education Union, 26 November 2024

Ending uni boss pay bonanza and wage theft a massive win: Union

The National Tertiary Education Union has strongly welcomed the federal government’s plans to end million-dollar vice-chancellor pay and crack down on wage theft.

The NTEU last week released a damning report into university governance, which has now sparked a major announcement from Education Minister Jason Clare.

A new watchdog will rein in bulging university executive pay packets and action will be taken on wage theft, which has seen more than 140,000 workers underpaid an estimated $400 million.

More than 300 senior university executives get paid more than their state premier.

NTEU National President Dr Alison Barnes paid tribute to union members who had driven the change.

“NTEU members have comprehensively shifted the dial on obscene vice-chancellor pay packets through bravely speaking out about the governance nightmares at their workplaces,” she said.

“This victory is years in the making. We want to congratulate the federal government for taking strong action to make million-dollar vice-chancellor salaries a thing of the past.

“The federal government must be applauded for responding to our calls for governance reform. Today is a great step towards better universities.

“Of course there’s more to do and we stand ready to help the government implement these changes.

“It is very encouraging that minister Clare has begun to act on the crisis in higher education.

“Taking steps to stop systemic wage theft in our universities will have a major impact in stopping this shameful behaviour which has seen more than 140,000 staff ripped off.

“Union members standing together has resulted in change that will reap huge benefits for staff, students and society more broadly.”

Media release – National Tertiary Education Union, 21 November 2024

New report reveals deep governance crisis in Australian universities

A damning new report has uncovered a shocking governance crisis in Australian universities, with 306 senior executives now earning more than their state premiers.

The National Tertiary Education Union’s Ending Bad Governance – For Good report, released today, includes new analysis of executive pay which has almost no relationship between university staff or student numbers, international ranking, financial performance and the respective Vice Chancellor salaries.

The average Vice Chancellor salary was $1.048m in 2023.

The average university now has six executives paid more than the local state premier, led by Monash University with a whopping 16 executives taking in more than Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan.

The report also found:

• • Universities spent $734 million in 2023 on “consulting” and professional advice or services
  • Insecure employment is out of control in higher education, with 68 percent of all workers in the sector employed using casual or fixed-term contracts
  • Total wage theft is now $226m in confirmed underpayments and $168m in pending provisions with 142,000 workers affected across over 30 major institutions
  • Egregious conflicts of interest, which would not be allowed in the public sector are rife in universities
  • Universities have a pattern of poor workforce planning and retrenching indispensable staff: the 11 universities that have proposed at least 2291 job losses in late 2024, previously retrenched almost 4800 staff in 2020 and 2021, only to add back 3600 staff by 2023 before then announcing another round of job losses in 2024
  • Bad governance is generating unhealthy workplaces and leading to low workplace morale

The NTEU is calling for an urgent federal parliamentary inquiry into university governance and workforce planning.

“This report reveals in shocking detail the deep governance crisis that is threatening our universities,” NTEU National President Dr Alison Barnes said.

“There are more than 300 senior university executives getting paid more than their state premier. The average vice-chancellor gets paid almost double what the Prime Minister takes home.

“University councils stacked with corporate appointees have failed to justify these salaries, undermining the credibility of our institutions.

“Vice-chancellors getting paid double the prime ministers are blowing $734 million on consultants while cutting jobs, stealing $400 million from staff and presiding over serious potential conflicts of interest.

“There’s not a single public institution we would tolerate this conduct in and universities should be no exception.

“It’s important to remember this research has been built on the testimonies of hundreds of higher education staff who are dealing with the real-world ramification of this crisis up close, every single day.

“NTEU members have provided overwhelming evidence of a university governance crisis that has spiralled out of control.

“Workers have been sounding the alarm on these major issues for the better part of a decade and yet we have seen no genuine or effective response from federal or state governments.

“Australia urgently needs a federal parliamentary inquiry into university governance and workforce planning.”