Statement from RMIT interim Vice-Chancellor

Statement attributable to RMIT interim Vice-Chancellor, Ms Dionne Higgins:

“RMIT takes its obligations under its enterprise agreements very seriously and is committed to ensuring that employees receive their full entitlements. 

“The dispute lodged by the NTEU with RMIT related to whether rates of pay were applied appropriately and consistently for a range of assessment tasks undertaken by RMIT’s higher education casual academic staff.

“Following discussions with the NTEU and RMIT’s own investigations, it has become clear that to verify that every payment of the ‘standard rate’ was correct in every instance would be an enormous and very time-consuming exercise. 

“RMIT therefore proposed increasing all payments made at the ‘standard rate’ for marking performed during the period 3 July 2014 – 1 November 2021 to the ‘academic judgement rate’. The NTEU has accepted RMIT’s proposal. 

“We consider this is the best outcome for our casual academic staff members, who will receive an additional payment without being required to establish any entitlement or wait for an extended period of time for their claim to be assessed. 

“RMIT greatly values the contribution our casual employees make and we apologise unreservedly to any who may have felt undervalued, and for any confusion or distress they may have experienced in regard to this matter.”

Further information available here.

-Ends

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