Victorian teachers in class action over alleged unpaid superannuation
Victorian teachers are suing the state government for allegedly unpaid superannuation on a salary allowance.Summary
Jill Perkins, a 63-year-old teacher from Portland Secondary College, is leading a class action on behalf of the Australian Education Union (AEU) against the Victorian Department of Education. The union alleges that the department failed to pay superannuation entitlements on the Salary Loading Allowance for tens of thousands of teachers from 1995 to 2023. The AEU estimates the total loss of contributions to be around $100 million, with an additional $300 million loss of investment earnings. The Australian Taxation Office previously determined that superannuation is payable on the allowance, ordering the department to pay, but the department is appealing that decision. The AEU's action would not be determined until there is a judgement on that separate case. The court action comes as the state government faces an enormous increase in wages for public school staff after protracted negotiations and industrial action ended in a pay rise offer of up to 32 per cent.
(Source：ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation))