Members of the journalists’ union, the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance (MEAA), at the national broadcaster the ABC are going on strike for 24 hours over pay and job security.
Nearly 1,000 ABC staff voted more than 90% in favour of protected industrial action, including a 24-hour strike starting 11am Wednesday, March 25, after rejecting a revised enterprise agreement offer.
The approved actions also include unlimited stoppages of work, with exemptions for emergency broadcasting.
Staff rejected a management proposal that included limited improvements to job security but no increase to pay or key conditions compared with the previous offer.
The proposal also included a one-off $1,000 payment that would not be added to base salaries, would not attract superannuation and would exclude casual staff.
"ABC staff are taking this step because they want fair pay that keeps up with the cost of living, genuine job security, and working conditions that allow them to continue serving the Australian public with integrity," said Erin Madeley, chief executive of the MEAA.
"Experienced journalists and media workers are being asked to do more with less — with fewer opportunities for pay progression, less certainty about their future, and growing workloads.
“When skilled, experienced staff are forced out, communities lose trusted local voices, particularly in regional Australia where the ABC is often the only local newsroom."
Madeley said staff also wanted guardrails around the use of AI to protect editorial integrity and public trust, and called on ABC management to agree to an offer that properly reflected the value of its workforce.
"ABC staff don't want to strike — they want to do their jobs," she said.
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