March 23, 2015
Workplace relations framework: IRU submission to the Productivity Commission
The Innovative Research Universities (IRU) is a network of six research intensive, progressive universities, established in Australia in the last 50 years.
Our member universities were established as research intensive universities in the outer urban areas of Australia’s capitals and in major provincial cities to stimulate economic, social and personal advancement. Our locations bring universities, with comprehensive activities across teaching and research, to areas where higher education participation and attainment is low, and where the university’s research and creation of graduates can strengthen the social and economic prosperity of the region.
A well-functioning university sector is crucial to Australia’s overall productivity. Australia’s universities overall employ over 118,000 ongoing and contractual staff plus a large number of casual staff, including more than 14,000 in the IRU universities. Universities are a significant sector generating $26 billion in revenue approximately 1.3% of Australia’s gross domestic product, underpinning export earnings from international education, and providing the base skills and knowledge for Australia’s workforce. The current workplace relations agreements that universities work within are based on the national workplace relations framework and the historical development of university national and local arrangements.
Read more in the attached PDF below.
