ABC staff get ready to strike over wage and work conditions
Employees at public broadcaster, the ABC, have resorted to union involvement over pay rise and working condition issues.
In two applications to the Fair Work Commission, employees sought the possibility of protected strikes and other industrial actions.
The two applications were lodged through Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) and The Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance (MEAA). Apart from strikes, the unions are asking for protected work restrictions and ban actions.
CPSU’s ABC section secretary, Sinddy Ealy, said the staff are “sick and tired of management crying poor and expecting staff to make financial sacrifices to benefit the growth of the ABC, just because it is the ABC”.
“If the ABC cannot pay staff wages that keep up with the cost of living, then that is a problem they should be raising with the Federal Government,” she said.
“The solution to that issue is not to turn around and ask staff to continuously accept sub-inflation pay rises that leaves them and their families struggling to keep up with the cost of living.”
Last year, the majority of ABC staff rejected an offer of nine per cent pay rise over the next three years, which also included a one-off $750 payment.
They have pushed for an annual 6 per cent pay rise instead, and the guarantee of better career progression and more flexible working hours.
MEAA media director Cassie Derrick said members believed industrial action was the only way to force ABC management back to the bargaining table after months of stalling.
“ABC staff delivered a resounding No vote last year when management insisted on putting forward an insulting and inferior offer,” she said.
“Since then, management has refused to engage with members around key issues of a fair pay rise that keeps pace with cost of living, removing impediments to career progression for staff wherever they are based, and real action to increase gender and racial diversity and end pay inequity.”
In the 2022 Federal budget, ABC received $83.7 million over four years, restoring its loss of funding outlined by the former Coalition government.
ABC managing director David Anderson said at the time that the new resources will be used for “local content and education services” investments.
Mumbrella has reached out to ABC for comments.
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Darcy Song was a reporter at Mumbrella, covering media owners, adtech and social platforms. She left in October 2023.
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topics
ABC
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Cassie Derrick
Community and Public Sector Union
CPSU
MEAA
Sinddy Ealy
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