Journos vote to take industrial action against Nine with help of the MEAA

The Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) and Nine Publishing have been negotiating for several months, renegotiating the publisher’s enterprise bargaining agreement covering media workers at SMH, The Age, AFR, Brisbane Times, and WA Today.

MEAA members are working for a fair pay rise and improved grading, to ensure diversity in the newsroom, minimum standards for freelancers, and a public commitment to the Charter of Editorial Independence, amongst other things.

In terms of wages, MEAA members are seeking a combination of wage increases (ranging from 5.5% per annum to 4% per annum, weighted toward staff on lower pay for 3 years) and automatic classification grading increases, to ensure there are real wage gains. Management is offering 3.5% for lower graded staff and 3% for higher graded staff for a one-year agreement.

In recent weeks, members have elected to take steps towards protected industrial action – through MEAA lodging a protected action ballot application with FWC approved last week. Now ballots will be sent out to members today (Thursday) and they should receive these ballots next week. Members then must vote on the types of industrial action they wish to take.

According to the union, this ballot will close on 24 August after which MEAA members (who make up around 90% of Nine Publishing employees) will be able to engage in any of the actions they approve.

MEAA said it’s “urging its members to vote ‘YES” to every question.”

In response, Nine Publishing managing director, James Chessell, noted to the union: “I reiterated the company was keen to continue bargaining in good faith. This remains the case. But I also want to make it clear that the current union wage claim (including expanded accelerated progression) remains unpalatable for a publishing business that faces cost headwinds. Any proposal that adds close to $20 million (over three years) to Publishing’s cost base in the current environment would be irresponsible and put the remarkable recovery of our mastheads at risk.

He added: “We are eager to continue bargaining. I am also keen to hear directly from staff and will be organising briefings in Melbourne and Sydney for early next week.”

MEAA media director, Adam Portelli, told Mumbrella: “Despite journos working harder than ever, cost of living pressures increasing, and huge pay-outs from Google and Facebook, Nine management are still offering insufficient pay increases and no guaranteed minimums for freelancers.

“With inflation now running at 6.1%, Nine management has to do better,” while adding, “all workers Nine engages deserve respect and a level of job security – including freelance journalists.”

It is expected the union and management will still meet during the period before the ballot is closed to continue the enterprise agreement discussions.

See our most recent podcast below, released today.

Episode breakdown

• Will Nine’s print journos go ahead with industrial action? (01:54)
• Interview with Accenture Song/The Monkeys’ Mark Green (10:24)

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Emma Shepherd

Emma Shepherd was the acting deputy editor at Mumbrella who has over seven years of print and digital experience in the industry and has previously worked as a reporter for media outlets Bauer Media (now Are Media), Yahoo Australia, and a content strategist and writer for various independent marketing agencies.

topics Adam Portelli AFR Brisbane Times Charter of Editorial Independence James Chessell MEAA Nine Publishing SMH The Age The Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance

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