Union takes aim at UTAS pay disparity

THE University of Tasmania’s vice-chancellor had a top tier pay packet while staff at the institution languished at the bottom of the salary league table, their union says.

The Legislative Council Select Committee Inquiry into the Provisions of the University of Tasmania Act has been holding public hearings in Hobart this week.

Representatives of the National Tertiary Education Union, which represents academic staff at the university, gave evidence on Thursday.

In a written submission, the union criticised what they described as poor governance as well as cuts to staff numbers, excessive casualisation and shoddy consultation.

The submission took special aim at the salary package paid to vice-chancellor Rufus Black.

“In 2020 the vice-chancellor received a gross salary in the range $975,000 to $990,000, well above the national average,” the submission said.

“In 2021, the salary of the vice-chancellor ranked 13th of 37 V-C salaries across the country.

“As a different point of comparison, in 2020 the UTAS vice-chancellor was paid over three times the salary of the Tasmanian Premier.

“The disproportionate nature of the vice-chancellor’s salary is further evidence of the corporatised culture which has developed at the university under the direction of the UTAS Council.”

The union said that even though the vice-chancellor was being paid rather well, staff at the uni were not quite so well paid.

“While the vice-chancellor is remunerated at a level that is above the national median, the same can not be said about the staff of the university,” it said.

“The attached charts show that at mid-2022, salaries of UTAS academic staff ranked 34th of 37 universities, while professional staff ranked 35th of 37 universities.”

University of Tasmania Chancellor Alison Watkins said the university was looking forward to putting its case to the committee early in the new year.