The tumuaki at the three wananga all received significant increases in their total remuneration last year according to figures revealed in the State Services Commission’s just released Annual Report. The increases align their pay more closely with their peers at other tertiary education institutions.

Mereana Selby, the tumuaki at Te Wānanga o Raukawa, saw her pay increase from under $100,000 in 2007 to over $160,000 in 2008.”  The tumuaki of te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiarangi saw his pay increase from a band of $110,000-$119,999 in 2007 to $180,000-$189,999 in 2008.”  The tumuaki of Te Wānanga o Aotearoa saw his total remuneration increase from a band of $250,000-259,999 to $290,000-$299,999.”  That is an increase of between 11 and 20 percent.

TEU national secretary Sharn Riggs says the figures add urgency to the need to treat other staff in wānanga and other tertiary institutions fairly.

“While some institutions appear to have shown restraint others have been offering very large increases to their chief executives and vice chancellors.”  But this shows that the State Services Commission is willing to offer its chief executives significantly larger percentage pay increases than it is willing to endorse for other staff.”

Te Wānanga o Aotearoa is about to enter collective employment agreement negotiations with TEU members on 12 and 13 November.

At some other tertiary institutions there were similarly large increases. The University of Auckland’s vice-chancellor saw his pay band improve from $520,000-$529,999 to $560,000-$569,999.”  The University of Otago the vice-chancellor’s pay improved by at least $60,000, and the two vice-chancellors that were employed at the University of Canterbury took home a combined total over $710,000 between them.

The Waikato Institute of Technology, already one of the highest paid chief executives at a polytechnic found his pay had improved by at least $30,000. Others to see large percentage pay rises included those in charge at the Manukau Institute of Technology, polytechnics at Christchurch and Whitireia, and the universities of Waikato and Victoria.