Management and the National Tertiary Education Union at the University of Newcastle have reached enterprise bargaining agreement, with the Fair Work Commission helping the parties over the line yesterday.

The Community and Public Sector Union is believed to have already ticked the terms and last week management thought the NTEU was also on-side. It wasn’t, with that union and management disagreeing over what was agreed on academic probation and managing staff performance (CMM October 25) However yesterday a deal was definitely done, “we thank the Fair Work Commission for its assistance to resolve outstanding matters with the NTEU in Newcastle this afternoon, and bargaining has now concluded,” acting vice chancellor Kevin Hall told staff yesterday.

The terms now go to NTEU members and the union’s national leadership for approval, with an all staff vote to follow. It should reach the Far Work Commission for ratification before year end.

But what was the FWC doing – conciliating and informally arbitrating, it sounds like to CMM. Now where has CMM heard that before ?