Arabic version: صحفيون في ABC يخططون للإضراب الأول منذ عقدين بسبب نزاع حول الأجور
According to The Guardian,
ABC journalists will walk off the job on Wednesday for the first time in 20 years, triggering severe disruption to the public broadcaster’s news services for 24 hours. The protected industrial action involves staff in the journalists’ Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) and the non-journalists’ Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU), which represents staff in technology and control systems.
Both unions have urged staff to reject the draft agreement of a 10% total pay rise over three years – 3.5% in the first year and 3.25% in the second and third years. With Australia’s annual inflation rate at 3.8%, the unions argue that the offer was too low and failed to address concerns about job security and working conditions.
ABC’s managing director, Hugh Marks, defended the pay proposal, stating that it was both sustainable and financially responsible. He asserted that 90% of staff were ongoing employees and that the organization aims to move to a system that reflects rewarding staff based on their performance. However, dissatisfaction among staff remains high, with 60% voting no on Sunday to the revised enterprise agreement during a recent ballot.
The strike will commence at 11 am on Wednesday, with expectations of widespread disruption across ABC’s television, radio, and online platforms, which reach about 65% of Australia’s population. Previous strikes at the ABC have led to major interruptions in services, and the current action is expected to be similarly impactful.
Union representatives have expressed that the strike is not taken lightly but is a necessary step to advocate for fair pay and job security. They emphasize that the future of public-interest journalism is at stake, particularly in regional areas where the ABC often serves as the sole local newsroom.
