National Tertiary Education Union Newcastle branch vice president (academic) Associate Professor Terry Summers said the union and management had been negotiating for 12 months about the EBA, which expired last September.

"Bargaining is progressing but it is slow," Dr Summers said.

"We have agreed in principle to a number of management's proposals, but they have not agreed to any of ours... it's been quite one-sided.

"Eventually that will get to a point where we'll say 'If this is not real bargaining then it will end up being we have to stand up for our conditions'."

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Dr Summers said the union was particularly concerned casuals were not getting paid the same superannuation as ongoing staff members; that employees were not getting adequate access to staff development such as study programs; and that UON had not tabled what payrise it was prepared to offer.

Dr Summers said a protected action ballot - which gives employees the chance to vote on whether or not they want to initiate protected industrial action - closed this week.

"The highest proportion voted and [it got] the highest level of support we've ever had at Newcastle."

He said members voted at a Friday branch meeting to take "low level action", most likely this week, including working to rule, not answering emails outside working hours and not doing unpaid work on weekends.

"Our membership is not very happy with management," he said. "Is there an appetite [for a strike]? I think so."

A spokesperson for UON said on Friday it had not yet received the required three days notice of industrial action.

UON Deputy Vice-Chancellor Global Professor Kent Anderson said UON had "made significant progress in strengthening benefits and conditions that work for our staff, while ensuring our university remains financially sustainable for the long-term".

He said action had the potential to cause "disruptions".

"Our students remain at the centre of all we do and our priority must be to continue to support our students so that any industrial action taken by the NTEU does not negatively impact their university experience," Professor Anderson said.

"No date has been set for action, nor any details. We will of course do our best to inform students and colleagues with early notice of any proposed NTEU action to minimise the impact on their education and work.

"Our university remains committed to working with the NTEU, the CPSU and staff representatives to reach an agreement through the enterprise bargaining process and we have meetings with all parties scheduled in the coming weeks."

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