ABC staff are planning to walk off the job for the first time in 17 years.
Hundreds of staff will hold a 40-minute strike at 2pm next Tuesday after they rejected the taxpayer-funded national broadcaster’s offer of a 10.5 per cent pay rise over three years with a $1,500 one-off payment.
No better offer was forthcoming when Media, Entertainment, and Arts Alliance union representatives met with ABC managing director David Anderson on Tuesday.
The strike will clash with the Reserve Bank’s next interest rate decision, where a 10th rise in as many months is expected.
Regular broadcasts could also be replaced by pre-recorded material if television and radio staff also walk off the job, sparking outrage from leading commentators.
2GB breakfast host Ben Fordham slammed the 40-minute strike as lazy as he issued an offer to chairwoman Ita Buttrose to volunteer his services during the industrial action.
Hundreds of ABC staff will walk off the job for 40 minutes next Tuesday afternoon. Pictured is chairwoman Ita Buttrose leading the broadcaster’s float during Saturday night’s Mardi Gras parade
‘I’m offering to ABC management today to donate my time next Tuesday,’ he told listeners on Thursday.
‘I will go live on the ABC for 40 minutes if Ita Buttrose agrees. I could do it across radio, television and all of your other media assets.’
Fordham believed his 2GB colleague Ray Hadley would join him.
‘We could just do 40 minutes of chat on your ABC. So Ita, please get back to me. This offer is genuine,’ he added.
Conservative columnist Andrew Bolt also slammed the strike while branding staff as entitled over their demands.
‘I hope the ABC’s bosses have the guts to put up their feet, order in the popcorn, and watch their staff prove to Australia that we really can do without them,’ Bolt wrote in his latest News Corp column.
‘What arrogance to think their services are so critical that a strike should make the Albanese Government and ABC board go to water.
‘But for the rest of Australia, it’s all good.
‘For one, the ABC audience would have a refreshing opportunity to break out of the ABC bubble and get their news from somewhere else – the plethora of private-sector newspapers, radio stations, TV outlets, podcasts and video channels that don’t all share the ABC world view.’
The national broadcaster receives more than $1 billion in government funding every year.
The ABC receives more than $1billion in government funding each year. Pictured are ABC stars Michael Rowland and Virginia Trioli
Taxpayers have taken to social media to express their anger over the strike.
‘Let the ABC strike indefinitely and then sack the lot of them. We would save a lot of taxpayers money and lose absolutely nothing.’
Ninety per cent of ABC staff who are members of the MEAA voted for industrial action in the protected ballot.
They also voted overwhelmingly to move forward with further industrial action in the coming weeks, including a potential 24-hour strike.
Union spokeswoman Cassie Derrick said members were resolute that the current proposal from management needs work.
2GB breakfast host Ben Fordham (pictured) has offered his time and services to the ABC
‘David Anderson listened to our concerns and has agreed to postpone voting on the current offer, but there was no commitment made about providing an improved deal that addresses the major concerns of staff,’ she said.
‘This is not just about pay. It’s about ensuring a fair go at forging a career at the public broadcaster.
‘It’s about sustainable careers and equal pay for journalists in the regions, from diverse backgrounds and women.’
Other staff concerns include career progression through pay bands, regular, transparently reported gender and race pay gap audit to address issues with inequality and retention of diverse staff along with an improved buyout system.
They also demand back pay from when the previous enterprise bargaining agreement expired.
Community and Public Sector Union members at the ABC will wear red and publishing social media posts in solidarity with striking MEAA colleagues.
The ABC says it continues continues to negotiate in good faith.
The national broadcaster receives more than $1 billion in government funding every year. Pictured is ABC headquarters in Ultimo, Sydney
‘The ABC is also committed to ensuring audiences experience as little disruption to services as possible during any industrial action,’ a spokesperson said.
‘The ABC’s initial proposal was for a three-year agreement expiring in October 2025, with a one-off payment of $750 and pay increases of 3.5%, 3% and 2.5%.’
‘The new proposal is a three-year agreement expiring in March 2026, with a $1,500 one-off payment, and higher pay increases (4%, 3.5% and 3%) during the life of the agreement resulting in higher base salaries. This has been carefully calibrated with regard to the ABC’s fixed funding envelope.’
The last time ABC staff went on strike was in 2006 when union members walked off the job for 24 hours, causing a widespread disruptions to TV and radio services.
***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk