ACM and News Corp journos strike pay deals, ABC offer rejected
As the new financial year begins, journalists and media companies have been at the bargaining table, with pay rates, lifestyle benefits, and the right to strike all up for negotiation.
Earlier in the week, News Corp staff accepted a 6% pay rise over two years, and the continuation of an agreement struck last June where management agreed to consult with its journalists over the way generative AI was used within the company’s newsrooms.
These AI stipulations were added following concerns over a landmark deal News Corp made with OpenAI last May, that allows the company to scrap current and archived content from News Corp’s publication to train its AI tools.
Australian Community Media journalists working across the NSW regional and metropolitan mastheads also reached an agreement with management this week, who promised a 3.75% pay bump in the first year, followed by 3.5% increases in each of the next two years.
ACM’s metro staff will also receive back pay, to put them in line with earlier increases received by regional staff.
In addition, weekend penalties will increase to 15%, and workers will get extra parental leave and long service leave. Finally, new workers will receive a $500 sign-on bonus.
The MEAA said in an email sent to its members that ACM’s staff at the Victorian are “currently completing their bargaining priorities survey”, while agricultural publication staff have “begun organising to reach a majority and bring management to the table”.
ABC, Sydney
ABC staff, meanwhile, have rejected a 3% pay rise offered by management because it came with a year-long moratorium on industrial action.
ABC chief people officer Deena Amorelli made the offer in a June 23 email, first published by Capital Brief, that told staffers: “To ensure that you receive a wage increase during the bargaining period, the ABC is proposing an increase for employees covered by the EA of 3% from the first full pay period after 1 October 2025.
“This wage increase will be contingent on bargaining representatives (the CPSU and MEAA) agreeing not to take industrial action for 12 months from the expiry of the EA while we negotiate the new agreement. If agreed, the terms of the current EA will continue to apply until it is replaced by a new one.”
The current enterprise agreement which came into effect in October 2022, saw ABC staff receive an 11% pay rise, over three years, with 4% bumps in the first two years, and a 3% increase from October 2024.
Mumbrella has contacted the MEAA for comment on the ABC negotiations.
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