Murdoch University management and the National Tertiary Education Union have reached in-principle terms of an enterprise agreement. However, provisions will not be announced until details are determined, with a proposal expected to be ready for staff “within two weeks.”

This deal is many months in coming and follows a long stand-off between the union and university, which chose to get out in front of all others and push for simpler, and it assumed, more efficient industrial conditions. MU stuck to its position long after other universities, including the other three public institutions in Perth, reached agreements with the union.

While both sides recognised the conflict had gone on too long last month, that agreement was reached so quickly is due in part to the efforts of external advisers. Union general secretary Graham McCulloch was in Perth for much of last week with the Australian Higher Education Industrial Association assisting management with expert advice.