‘How about we see more investment in the people on the ground?’: Nine bosses blasted for being in Paris amidst journo strike
Nine Entertainment bosses who are currently in Paris for the Olympics have been slammed as journalists for the media giant commenced a planned five-day strike on Friday morning.
Nine Publishing journalists from The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, The Australian Financial Review, Brisbane Times, and WAtoday walked off the job at 11am on Friday morning after a meeting with management failed to put a stop to those plans, following news of job cuts in the publishing division last month.
Hours after the strike commenced, acting Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance (MEAA) media federal president, Kate Ferguson – who was on ground in Perth for the strikes – told Mumbrella that they are calling on the federal government to “step up and support journalism”.
“Without good journalism, there is no democracy,” she said.
“These are the people on the ground doing the hard work. They are the ones finding the stories and telling the very important tales that we need to hear. The bosses are over in Paris at the Olympics getting big pay rises. How about we see more investment in the people on the ground doing the hard work rather than the, the guys at the top end?”
Ferguson told Mumbrella that there has not been any more formal communication between Nine management and the journalists since the last offer was rejected and that the strike will go for the five days pending any more communication with the network.
“We’re waiting to hear back,” she said.
WAtoday writer Emma Young also spoke at Friday’s strike, saying “a profitable division of a profitable company should not be cutting jobs”.
“How many jobs could have been saved if TV personalities with nothing to do with the Olympics weren’t going to bed right now in luxury hotels in Paris? How many jobs could they have saved if this board had done more to prepare for the exit of Meta funding that they knew was coming?”
The MEAA members called on Nine executives to give up their bonuses for the financial year just gone and the next coming, and reinvest that money to save jobs instead.
“No one wants to strike and we don’t do this lightly,” Young said.
“[Covering the Olympics] is the job of a lifetime for them, but what we’re fighting for is bigger than that.”
It comes after Nine CEO Mike Sneesby, who is currently in Paris, sent an email to staff on Friday morning expressing his displeasure with the strike.
“It goes without saying we’re profoundly disappointed by this decision as we have offered a new and improved agreement yesterday and were negotiating in good faith to a constructive outcome,” the email read.
“While we recognise the right of unions to take industrial action, Tory [Maguire] and I firmly believe a return to the negotiating table is the best pathway to progressing the EBA.
“We have endeavoured to avert the industrial action, we have been preparing for the prospect of prolonged industrial action.
“We are well positioned to ensure our mastheads are produced and distributed for our loyal readers. Our editorial teams will seamlessly deliver the best coverage for our audiences, so they have the news they want, when they want it and as it happens in Paris.”
A Nine spokesperson earlier told Mumbrella: “While it is disappointing the union has elected to proceed with industrial action, we can confirm comprehensive plans are in place to ensure the production and distribution of Nine Publishing mastheads will not be impacted and our readers will continue to have access to unrivalled coverage of the Paris Olympics.
“Nine recognises the rights of unions to take industrial action but believe that a return to the negotiating table is the best way to progress the EBA. With our new and improved proposal representing a fair and reasonable offer for our people, we remain open to resuming good faith negotiations at the earliest opportunity.”
Mumbrella broke the news on Thursday morning that MEAA representatives were were unable to strike a deal with Nine before the media giant put a “new and improved” proposal on the table.
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Neil Griffiths is the Managing Editor of Mumbrella. He joined the company in October 2023.
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Emma Young
Kate Ferguson
MEAA
Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance
Mike Sneesby
Nine Entertainment
Nine MEAA
Nine Olympics
Nine redundancies
Let them cake/croissants
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What is the detail of the offer from Nine?
I’m all for solidarity but why is the MEAA and the journalists not telling us what it is they are rejecting?
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Mike Sneesby is a 101 how not to be CEO-
1) Boss of a Nine TV newsroom with huge cultural issues which has needed a review
2) Payout to Darren Wick of 1 million bucks
3) Knew Meta cash running out, no advanced planning
4) Redundancies right before FY, emails staff, doesn’t meet once in person to front up, goes to Greece for a holiday.
5) Goes to Paris, stays in 1000 buck hotel, runs through a French village while strike action potential.
6) Zero concessions from executive at nine, be they bonuses, or cutting excess executive travel to Paris. Scotty Cam flown out for no reason.
7) Sends tone deaf email saying he’s profoundly disappointed. The feeling is absolutely mutual champion.
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