Australia’s universities still ground zero for gig economy

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Last year, multiple major Australian universities were accused of widespread wage theft from their highly casualised workforce.

The Select Committee on Job Security has found that university casuals are less likely to win permanent employment than cleaners, despite the March 2021 amendment to the Fair Work Act, which required employers to grant ongoing employment to their long-term casuals:

Australia’s attempt to tackle rampant casualisation in the workforce has failed, with academics among those most let down by an ineffective legislative intervention, a 14-month Senate inquiry has concluded…

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About the author
Leith van Onselen is Chief Economist at the MB Fund and MB Super. He is also a co-founder of MacroBusiness. Leith has previously worked at the Australian Treasury, Victorian Treasury and Goldman Sachs.