The NTEU says the academic workload dispute at Monash University will be sorted, with management agreeing to a collegial process to review all models and ensure compliance with the enterprise agreement.

Back in June, the National Tertiary Education Union claimed all 43 agreements were centrally imposed and deficient. The comrades complained, “with increased emphasis on meeting research metrics, it is vital that such academic staff have a proper unallocated time in which to undertake their research and scholarly activities.”

But Monash management was not having it, replying “it is disappointing to see this suggested because in the university’s view discussions have been continuing with a great deal of goodwill demonstrated by both sides, in trying to find a resolution,” (CMM June 1).

The goodwill ran out and by mid-July the matter was before the Fair Work Commission, with the union citing dozens of faulty models and faculty-wide failures in IT, pharmacy and law. But on Friday the union was reporting the university would fix workload models by February. The union urges staff to raise problems “and pursue a collegial process to fix the model.”

The deal allows union and management to focus on arguing about the next enterprise agreement.