The Australian Catholic University (ACU) confirmed that around 1,100 casual staff were underpaid since 2016, totalling around $3.6 million. Image: Shkuru Afshar, via Wikimedia Commons
The Australian Catholic University (ACU) confirmed that around 1,100 casual staff were underpaid between 2016 and 2023, totalling around $3.6 million, but denies that it took part in wage theft.
The underpayments primarily relate to instances where staff were not paid entitlements appropriately, such as in instances where staff were entitled to higher rates of pay due to holding a PhD qualification, or were undertaking duties that exceeded their role, such as unit coordination or duties of the lecturer-in-charge.
The ACU provided an official media release regarding the matter.
“ACU has identified underpayments to some casual sessional academic staff who were employed across the university from 2016 to 2023,” it reads.
“ACU is contacting all former and current staff who have been affected by this error in order to apologise to them, advise them of the amount owed to them and reassure them that the underpayment will be paid in full, with interest, as soon as possible.”
The ACU firmly denies that they did not take part in wage theft and says that the underpayment of staff was unintentional and due to “inaccuracies”.
“Wage theft generally arises where there is an intentional underpayment. The university did not intend to underpay employees at all,” said the ACU.
The ACU is one of many Australian tertiary institutions found to underpaying their staff, as identified in a 2023 report by the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU).
The NTEU’s analysis observed wage theft across 32 institutions, revealing a systemic pattern across the nation’s universities.
Nearly 100,000 university staff were underpaid a total amount exceeding $160 million since 2009, with the vast number of incidents occurring since 2014.
The ACU’s statement finished with an apology from Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Zlatko Skrbis.
“You deserve to be paid correctly for your work and it is our responsibility to ensure you are being paid correctly,” said Skrbis.
“On behalf of the university, I would like to sincerely and unequivocally apologise on behalf of the university and the Senate to every employee – past and present.
“ACU is committed to wage integrity, in accordance not only with our legal obligations but also with our dedication to upholding the principles of Catholic Social Teaching. Our mission as a Catholic university commits us to treat every human person with dignity and respect.”
