Western Sydney University has made a salary offer – 2 per cent per annum across the life of the agreement plus a 0.1per cent signing bonus. According to WSU management, this is “the final offer the university is proposing in our current financial environment.” WSU adds that it is above CPI and in-line with annualised increases offered/accepted in the present round. But if the NTEU does not accept the offer a university spokesperson says “the university will continue to negotiate and bargain in good faith with the unions,” – presumably not over money, what with yesterday’s offer being final.

Last night the campus branch of the National Tertiary Education Union described the university’s offer as “much better,” than the 1per cent management previously proposed. But added it is not enough, warning that management has made “no meaningful” concessions on job security, workloads, consultation and workforce casualisation. “In our view there is no serious prospect of our key claims being met without concerted action by our members,” union negotiators told staff.