Nine Publishing improves offer in discussions with MEAA bargaining team

The Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) has sent out an update to its members following its third meeting with Nine Publishing management to discuss the publisher’s enterprise bargaining agreement.

In the update, MEAA confirmed that Nine Publishing management had offered an “additional 0.5% discretionary performance based increase” as well as making a public commitment to the Charter of Editorial Independence and drafting its own diversity clause for consideration by MEAA. Management also agreed “employees should be able to retain at least 4 weeks’ annual leave where directed to take annual leave”.

MEAA’s response to the slightly improved offer from Nine Publishing outlined that the discretionary performance-based increase did not address members’ “demands for higher guaranteed pay increases” and continued to fall far short of the union’s claim of 6% per annum. The MEAA was especially disappointed in the offer given the support Nine received from Google and Facebook, as well as the sacrifices made by staff during the pandemic.