Management and unions “have largely reached in-principle agreement on most provisions in the draft agreement” Provost Vicki Chen told staff last night

Terms include improvements in staff conditions, notably the creation of 110 continuing positions for academic casuals under a new enterprise agreement.

The university also offers three headline pay rises totalling 11 per cent over ’23-25. However UTS observers suggest that when administrative pay rises already awarded are included the total increase over the notional period of the new agreement is over 14 per cent.

But even the to-come increase is a significant increase which other big-city universities will have little choice but to meet.

Professor Chen says “there is more work to complete” before there is a proposal to put to staff and the unions (National Tertiary Education Union and Community and Public Sector U) are said to still have demands. However the Provost told the UTS community last night she “appreciated the constructive engagement from both unions,” which rather sounds like the serious arguing is over.