Thursday, February 04, 2021

Viral video shows student demanding her $10 an hour - and our universities have a problem

 Companies and foreign countries vying for your DNA CBS


On the day that the University of Adelaide appointed its new vice-chancellor, Peter Hoj, a video went viral of an international student having an argument with her boss in Adelaide’s Chinatown this week. What was the argument about? She had had the audacity to ask for her pay of $10 an hour. Never mind that this is well below the minimum wage – she just wanted to be paid the going rate for international students.


Quite rightly, Professor Hoj, like all of Australia’s G08 vice-chancellors, identify getting international students back to our universities as key to the survival of the sector. However, it is essential that universities evolve in their understanding of the contribution and welfare of international students.

There is now a wealth of evidence to demonstrate that international students have two key aspects to their vulnerability. First, they are vulnerable in terms of their accommodation and living arrangements as there is a lack of affordable, safe housing in our metropolitan cities. Second, international students are vulnerable in the labour market to wage theft and other forms of exploitation.

International students are routinely paid wages much lower than the legal minimum. In a survey of more than 4000 international students, almost a quarter earned less than $12 per hour in their lowest-paid job; 42 per cent earned less than $15, which was still $2.70 below the minimum legal hourly rate at the time of the survey.

Viral video shows student demanding her $10 an hour - and our universities have a problem


How Poverty Makes Workers Less ProductiveNPR

 

“We have been disrespected at the table and the Board of Education won’t bargain.” Interview with Kenzo Shibata of CTU. Strike Wave

 

Our Oligarchs’ Crisis Of Confidence The American Conservative

 

Internet blackouts skyrocket amid global political unrest Axios


The Science of Reasoning With Unreasonable People NYT. How many psychiatrists does it take to change a light bulb?. One. But the lightbulb has to want to be changed.d


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How new Amazon CEO Andy Jassy built an enterprise tech juggernaut Protocol


Big Tech is so big it doesn’t need its founders anymore Recode


Elon Musk’s banter with Robinhood CEO triggers stampede for Clubhouse app Channel News Asia. Certainly a healthy sign….