University of Tasmania (UTAS) students are being caught up in industrial action over pay and conditions.

The National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) and UTAS have been going back and forth for 14 months over a new enterprise bargaining agreement.

NTEU Tasmanian division secretary Kelvin Michael says it is unlikely they will strike a deal before the university's Vice-Chancellor finishes up at the end of this month.

“There have been some items on both sides of the table that have been ticked off or taken off the table by one side or the other, but we still have no firm commitment from management on the core areas of the agreement,” he said.

The union wants a 2 per cent pay rise, paid family violence leave, gender equity targets, superannuation equity, and other work conditions to be covered under a single EBA for all staff.

Staff have engaged in protected action for the last few weeks, including bans on working overtime, attending management meetings, university and marketing events and answering phone calls and emails.

The next stages of industrial action will include full-day strikes and withholding student results.

“It all fundamentally depends on what we see from management, when we see it and what management's offer might look like,” Mr Michael said.

“The work is being done by a workforce that hasn't grown to match the number of students, and in some areas the workforce has been trimmed making the job of delivering services all the more difficult.”

The university has acknowledged that the talks have gone on too long, but pointed out staff received a 1.5 per cent pay interim pay increase to all employees in July.