Some staff at the University of Melbourne outside the proposed enterprise agreement agreed by management and the union are feeling exposed. Academics in executive roles are not covered by the deal, nor are professional staff earning more than $144 000. The fear is that management will offer people agreements that are light-on for contractual rights and set out conditions as university policies, which management can change as suits it.

However, the university responds that “relevant terms” of the 2013 agreement will continue and improvements proposed in the new deal will apply. “There will be no reduction of terms and conditions, as it is important that we maintain and grow competitive and attractive terms for our senior management roles,” a university representative said yesterday.

Information sessions for staff start this week.