The National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) has strongly endorsed the Senate Education and Employment Committee chair's announcement of support for a parliamentary inquiry into university governance.
Labor Senator Tony Sheldon today announced he would seek to establish an inquiry into university governance which would cover wage theft, insecure work, accountability and transparency, along with other compliance issues.
The NTEU has campaigned hard for a federal parliamentary inquiry into university governance after a raft of scandals uncovered shocking mismanagement of public institutions.
This has included a national wage theft tally confirmed to be at least $265 million and growing, two-thirds of all university staff being in insecure employment, and egregious conflicts of interest.
The governance crisis has also seen the stacking of university governing bodies, outrageous executive pay packets, and up to $734 million splashed on consultants in a single year.
NTEU National President Dr Alison Barnes said:
"Senator Sheldon's support for an inquiry is a massive win for all NTEU members who have bravely spoken up about issues like wage theft, conflicts of interest and poor management decisions that are a blight on higher education.
"For too long, vice-chancellors and senior executives have escaped any real accountability for some of the terrible decisions that have damaged our public universities.
"An inquiry would be a golden opportunity to get to the bottom of what's allowing the wage theft epidemic, rampant casualisation and a raft of other serious problems to flourish in our sector.
"This is the path to lasting reform that will ensure staff can deliver the world-class teaching and research our students and community deserve."
