Fairfax columnist Joe Aston labels colleagues’ strike action ‘unlawful’ after being called a scab
Australian Financial Review columnist Joe Aston has hit back after being called a “scab” on social media by describing the strike organised by Fairfax Media colleagues as “unlawful” and “wildcat”.
Hundreds of Fairfax journalists walked out on Thursday after the company announced 120 more job losses across The Age and Sydney Morning Herald. This morning, staff returned to the newsrooms.
After colleagues walked out on Thursday in the unprotected industrial action, Rear Window columnist Joe Aston tweeted: “Grateful for Fairfax Media colleagues remaining behind (=abiding the law) to produce the news for our readers. We’re not all on strike.”
That was picked up by Guardian Australia columnist Van Badham, who retweeted it with the comment: “If you don’t EVER want to be like this guy join a union.”
Others then jumped on Badham’s tweet, using it to attack Aston as a “scab” – someone who breaks a strike action –
Over the weekend the papers were produced by a skeleton staff with senior editors writing several stories and a lot of contributed copy from news wire services.
In his column today, Aston took issue with the attack, writing: “I have been called many things, brutally derisive and mostly true, but one thing is for certain: I am not a scab.
“I am not a private contractor. I haven’t been flown in from Dubai by Chris Corrigan. I am turning up to work for my employer, as per my contractual obligations, and I am declining to participate in an unlawful strike organised by a union I’m not a member of.”
He then outlined the process set down under law for how the journalist’s union, the MEAA, should have acted to take action, before turning on Badham’s employers, The Guardian, which called on Fairfax to reverse the cuts decision.
He wrote: “Clearly no pangs of conscience there from journalists who compete for Fairfax readers and advertisers, are subsidised by a foreign Trust, and the very same week the aforementioned Trust announced it is sacking 250 people in London but ring-fencing its Aussie staff from cuts. Yep, these scribes are really on the Les Misérables barricades.”
Aston also criticised journalists in Fairfax’s Canberra Press Gallery for walking out “weeks before they cover – independent, always – a federal election to be fought on the issue of union impropriety and thuggery”.
Aston’s column also won the backing of News Corp columnist Andrew Bolt, who wrote on his blog today, describing Aston’s column as making: “A most excellent point”.
Alex Hayes
This just strikes me as part of Aston’s “act”‘ – the whole Rear Window shtick is that it’s cosy with powerbrokers and decision-makers, and above the lefty journalism rabble. It always comes across as slightly play-acting and this seems firmly in character.
User ID not verified.
Well done Joe
User ID not verified.
Aston – What an absolute legend! Nice work!
User ID not verified.
When will Journo’s understand that they are in a business. Print Journo’s are a different breed as they think their pen is mighty than the economics of running the business that is paying them.
The print titles have all but declined with the onslaught of the web. The real eye opener is that you can now get good quality online rather than the rehash of print.
Let’s face it the Australia print paper landscape has rarely produced any decent content in years.
Get with the times print Journo’s before it’s too late.
Cutting travel expenses, lunch expenses, less contributor budgets and Editors actually writing… Who would have thought.
Dummy Spit walk out with no regard to the publication nor those that pay their wages.
User ID not verified.
Big fan of Joe. He calls it as it is. Well done Joe. And PS – I’m glad when the Oz was trying to poach you, you NEVER went. You’re a man of character and most certainly not a scab!
User ID not verified.
It would have been more impressive and valuable for the journos to donate one day’s wage to a fund to help their sacked colleagues instead of going on strike – especially if it’s an illegal one as Aston claims. The strike will certainly not help anyone and provides further ammunition against union bad behaviour. A lose/lose event.
User ID not verified.
If he is not in the union, why should he be compelled to strike?
User ID not verified.
At least people read Rear Window.
User ID not verified.
Clearly he only cares about himself and his management that is gutting the organisation, not his colleagues.
User ID not verified.
The hard truth is that the strike had little to show for itself as the SMH still came out more or less intact – gave up reading the Sun Herald years ago so have no idea about that. The Saturday paper still had its features sections, such as Spectrum and Good Weekend, although news and sport were somewhat light on. Still, any day without that tiresome blowhard Fitzsimons is a good day. (Does he have something on the management? He’s given more space to fill that a landscape gardener.) Today’s paper still had the Guide and the full TV rundown for the week. Anyway, back to work boys ands girls while you still have jobs – the walkout no doubt gave you all a nice warm inner glow even though next to nobody else noticed, or cared.
User ID not verified.
If he is not in the union he is not legally allowed to strike. A scab however is not someone who refuses to participate in a strike, it is someone who refuses to join a union. So he is a scab, despite his assertions.
User ID not verified.
They’re such nasty pieces of work, aren’t they?
The Fairfaxistas showing their true colours.
No wonder so much Fairfax editorial and opinion is so negative, so mean-spirited, so bitter.
User ID not verified.
Well done Joe. You’ve shown up your colleagues for the lawless, biased, entitled dinosaurs they are.
User ID not verified.
I love Joe for his regular (and well deserved) digs at Daily Tele editor and now editor-in-chief at The Oz Paul Whittaker. Joe is certainly not partisan when it comes to dishing out the hate. It works.
User ID not verified.
This thread is hilarious. You’d think Aston was some sort of saint. Fact is he writes a very ordinary column with very little in it worth knowing, spends a lot of time trailing for freebies and spends the weekend writing slightly sad accounts of his lonely, drunken life.
Aston needed to show up because it’s the only time his “work” would be noticed. Plus he needs to stay in Hywood’s favour to maintain his indulgences.
I wonder what a shrink would say about his weird references (to such things as his own erection)?
User ID not verified.
If he is not in the union, why should he be compelled to strike?
Well he just might want to take advantage of the benefits union membership brings.
User ID not verified.
Isn’t it wonderful how we can dismiss these Journalists who spent large parts of their lives building the brand and company as simply beneficiaries of a machine that should dispose of people like used paper.
How cynical and self interested we have become? Human concerns are secondary to financial realities? God help me if I ever have to work along side any of you.
User ID not verified.