Union members at the Australian National University have endorsed a proposed enterprise agreement that will deliver the biggest pay rise in the sector.
Casual staff for the first time will have access to three days of sick leave and all staff will have 20 days of gender affirmation leave, including casuals.
Staff will be getting an 18.5 per cent increase in salary over five years. This is comprised of a 3.5 per cent increase already paid in February this year, followed by 2.5 per cent every six months from December 2023 to June 2026.
It represents the highest total pay offer in the higher education sector in this round of bargaining and the second highest offer behind the University of New South Wales on a per-year basis.
The proposal will commit the university to reducing the proportion of casual staff employed and provide 116 ongoing jobs for casuals over the life of the agreement.
National Tertiary Education Union ANU branch president Millan Pintos-Lopez said 88 per cent of members voted to support the offer on Thursday.
"I think we went in incredibly ambitious and I think that that's paid off," Mr Pintos-Lopez said.
"There's not many parts of the enterprise agreement that have come out untouched. And I think that that will be a positive reflection in the day to day lives of staff at the university and will have flow on effects to students."
The agreement is likely to go to an all-staff vote in October.
An ANU spokesperson said it was pleasing to reach a significant milestone in the bargaining negotiations.
"The university's goal throughout the enterprise bargaining negotiations has been to build and maintain employment arrangements to ensure we are well placed to attract and retain world-class staff, with consideration of the current challenges faced by the institution and sector more broadly.
"We want our staff to feel supported and valued and proud to work at our leading university."
ANU staff went on the first strike in 24 years in July.
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