There is still no enterprise agreement for academic staff at Macquarie U but word is that a deal is getting closer.

Both management and union leaderships are also said to be happy enough with the Fair Work Commission’s interest based bargaining New Approaches programme, which was used.

Certainly, happy enough for it to have a role in professional staff bargaining, which is expected to start soon. The union’s original position was to run the professional staff negotiation by the usual ordeal by argument, (CMM April 24).

New Approaches involves parties talking through issues and objectives and looking for solutions that work both ways rather than the traditional approach of beginning with hostility and taking it from there. (CMM January 29).

FWC deputy president Anna Booth was involved with the process for the academic agreement and she is set to meet with union and management representatives to help with the new negotiations.