Fairfax Media saves 20 jobs, to cut 100 jobs and offer redundancies to news, business staff
Fairfax Media has saved 20 full-time jobs as it looks to reduce costs across its editorial departments in Sydney and Melbourne, reducing a proposal to axe 120 jobs down to 100.
The company has now completed the consultation period for the proposal to cut the positions, revealing it has managed to identify “non-staff savings which amount to the equivalent of 20 full-time jobs”.
In an email from Sean Aylmer, Fairfax Media’s editorial director, staff were told: “As flagged in my announcement to staff on 17 March 2016, we have been reviewing non-staff costs at the same time as consulting on redundancies.
“We have identified non-staff savings which amount to the equivalent of 20 full-time jobs. This will be achieved predominantly through reduced contributor spend and some pagination savings.
“To reach the rest of the savings required, a Voluntary Redundancy (VR) program for the equivalent of 100 FTEs (the hours worked by one employee on a full-time basis) will be open to all editorial staff in the News and Business verticals covered by the Fairfax Media – Metropolitan Journalists Enterprise Agreement 2014.”
The VR program is now open and will close on Monday May 2 at 5:00pm.
“Our goal is to let people know as soon as is practical after that date whether they have been successful,” Alymer said in the note to staff.
Fairfax Media declined to comment.
Miranda Ward
Sean Aylmer’s email in full:
Thank you to everyone who provided feedback and ideas around cutting costs. Some of your ideas have been adopted and we will commence implementing them shortly.
I would also like to thank the MEAA for its efforts in identifying potential cost reductions.
As most of you are aware, the consultation period closed on Tuesday 12 April around the company’s proposal to cut the equivalent of 120 FTEs.
As flagged in my announcement to staff on 17 March 2016, we have been reviewing non staff costs at the same time as consulting on redundancies. We have identified non-staff savings which amount to the equivalent of 20 full time jobs. This will be achieved predominantly through reduced contributor spend and some pagination savings.
To reach the rest of the savings required, a Voluntary Redundancy (VR) program for the equivalent of 100 FTEs will be open to all editorial staff in the News and Business verticals covered by the Fairfax Media – Metropolitan Journalists Enterprise Agreement 2014.Details of the VR program are below. It is now open and will close on Monday 2 May at 5pm. All requests for estimates will be treated confidentially by HR.
Our goal is to let people know as soon as practical after that date, whether they have been successful.
Related content:
- Fairfax Media to cut 120 editorial jobs at The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age
- Fairfax staff on strike until Monday, after company moves to sack 12.5% of news room
- Fairfax Media management says strike is ‘unlawful’ and will dock striking journalists’ pay
- Journalism in Australia will not die because Fairfax is walking away from the job
- AAP becomes Fairfax’s most prolific writer in strike edition as Age breaks its own embargo
- Fairfax columnist Joe Aston labels colleagues’ strike action ‘unlawful’ after being called a scab
- ‘Since when has quantity got to do with quality?’: Greg Hywood defends Fairfax job cuts
- Journalists’ union accuses Fairfax management of having a 20th Century print mentality
- Fairfax CEO Greg Hywood denies ‘knee jerk reaction’ to revenue resulted in editorial cuts
Miranda Ward worked for Mumbrella from 2013 to 2017, eventually becoming deputy editor. Miranda joined Mumbrella in September 2013 from Sky News.
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Hywood must not have liked the basting. Either that or they had no idea what number needed to go. This time.
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