Journalists at Australia’s public broadcaster ABC hold 24-hour strike over pay

THREE KEY ISSUES

The Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA), which represents many of the staff striking, has argued that the offer is below inflation, and their requests for a solution to short-term, rolling contracts have been ignored.

Michael Slezak, ABC journalist and co-chair of the MEAA ABC National House Committee, said the decision to strike came down to three “key” issues, including pay, fixed-term contracts and progression.

The MEAA initially asked for a pay rise of 5.5 per cent.

“That’s a below-inflation pay offer; that is just a pay cut with better branding,” Mr Slezak said.

Another issue Mr Slezak said was “endemic” to the ABC was an over-reliance on fixed-term and casual employees, who “don’t know whether they’re going to be able to pay their rent or their mortgage when their contract is up”.

The final key issue the MEAA had been focused on was pay progression, specifically calling for automatic progression through the ABC’s pay points to a certain level based on satisfactory performance.

“At the moment you have people stuck for years and years at the same level in our pay systems, despite accumulating massive amounts of experience and applying that to our work,” Mr Slezak said.

Asked whether he thought a deal could be reached with the MEAA and CPSU, ABC managing director Hugh Marks said he thought there was still a gap between what management and unions were seeking.

“I’m finding it very difficult to deal with an organisation that I can’t wrestle into an agreement,” he said.