University of Sydney staff unions have reached an agreement with the university's management over pay and conditions after six months of protracted negotiations.
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The compromise follows a series of strikes by the National Tertiary Education Union, which recently picketed the campus on Open Day.
The university released a statement saying a new three-year enterprise agreement had been reached by the NTEU, the Community and Public Sector Union and Vice-Chancellor Michael Spence.
The "in-principle agreement" included a 2.1 per cent annual pay rise from July 1 next year and a one-off payment of $500 for all fixed-term staff when the agreement is ratified by the Fair Work Commission.
The university would advertise up to 120 full-time equivalent education-focused roles.
And the redeployment period offered to non-academic staff made redundant under the new agreement would be extended from 12 weeks to nine months until the end of December 2019.
The statement said the university had made a commitment to establishing a working party with union representation to address issues relating to the conversion of casual staff to more secure forms of employment.
The statement undersigned by two union representatives and Dr Spence described the in-principle agreement as "a great step forward for us as a University community".
"We have retained all the benefits of the existing agreement, and provided for additional benefits that will ensure staff continue to enjoy sector-leading salary, benefits and workplace conditions," the statement said.
"Importantly, while there have been disagreements between the parties, the agreement is the result of constructive negotiations and open communication over the last six months to ensure it addresses the core concerns and interests of the University and staff."
This month, Dr Spence said meetings with the union had reached an impasse before asking staff for an informal vote on the enterprise agreement, including the 2.1 per cent pay offer, which the union has until now rejected.
The dispute appears to have been settled following a landmark Fair Work Commission decision to terminate an enterprise agreement at Murdoch University in West Australia.
Federal Minister for Education Simon Birmingham has urged university leaders to follow Murdoch's example to modernise work practices and save money while his government cuts teaching budgets by 4.9 per cent in 2018 and 2019.
