‘At risk’ ABC staff being notified as political reporter Lyndal Curtis quits
Around 100 staff at the ABC deemed at risk of redundancy under sweeping changes at the public broadcaster are being notified today and tomorrow, while veteran political reporter Lyndal Curtis has decided to leave after 26 years on air.
Those deemed “at risk of redundancy” of the 330 people in the skills assessment pools will then be the subject of further consultations, with only those volunteering for redundancy to be let go before Christmas.
The notifications come after the Fair Work Commission on Monday told the broadcaster to be more open in its redundancy process after two unions raised concerns about the way it was implementing cuts caused by budget reductions imposed by the government.
Rupert is getting his wish for competitors to have their wings clipped.
Why is the ABC’s Managing Director, Mark Scott, being given a free pass in all of this by the media?
These are his decisions, and his alone.
All government offices have cuts, thanks to the profligacy of the Rudd-Gillard maladministration, but you don’t hear this much noise coming from the others.
Mark Scott pays himself well over $800,000 a year for a job from which he cannot be fired, and for a skill set that’s more around the $150,000-200,000 mark. At the very least he could scale himself back, including the perks like a limmo and driver, and hand over some cash to those who are losing their jobs.
Lyndal was an excellent presenter, one of the two balanced reporters at the ABC.
Anyone of my generation who wants now, and ever wanted in the past – news, current affairs analysis and critique, arts, science, intellectual and social knowledge, politics without shite-flunkeys, sport and even weather analysis, wants the ABC. That means STAFF, actual people not cameras, buildings, contracts, no, people: their knowledge, experience, risk, eccentricity, humour, and their willingness to work beyond the call of duty. And these staff members should never be shunted from their jobs to satisfy right-wing anger and resentment. And pettiness, bile, bad dreams, who knows who warped their motives are? Because it isn’t the staff’s incompetency, it isn’t their lunch breaks, nor their gender or sporting oddities, it is because right-wing politicians and their Murdoch (oh, media? conflict of interest?) connections cannot abide rigorous journalism and media insight, and culture, and courage.
Labour – win the election and promise to re-employ everybody.
Volunteering never works. Ask any HR person. The dead wood and lifers will never put the hand up. The good ones tend to leave as they can find jobs in the real world. The slackers cling to the ship till retirement.
I will miss Lyndal. Thought her recent interview of certain Politicians was incitefull, polished and, professional. Something we don’t see much of these days.
But the ‘moguls’ have to dumb every thing down so the mediocre can get away with poor performance.
I used to say I hope Scott knows what he’s doing. But now it looks more like Scott is pandering to political masters.
Pity
A lot of people have worked very hard, without fear or favour, to make the ABC such a fine organisation. And now they have been put out on the street.
Thousands of Australians have lost jobs during the first year of the first term of this Government. Clearly on broken promises.
This very clear and obvious knob-ling of the ABC, by this Government, has obviously backfired on them. But they were warned !
Now many Australians just want to sack the Government.
Good luck Lyndal. Hope it all works out for you.
I love reading comments by such intellectual giants as Mike (comment 2). Quite how you know what Mark Scott’s “skill set” might be is beyond me. The ABC operates 4 TV networks, 4 radio networks & a multitude of local radio outlets. They also provide content via the many ABC websites, as well as iView. For that Mark Scott is paid 4% of what Gyngell is paid at Channel 9.
Grow up mate, your politics are showing.
Why are we letting experienced reporters go?
When I was in europe and the UK they would proudly cross to their “senior” correspondents, as well as mixing it with the up and coming ones. We almost seem afraid of mature, which is ridiculous when you think of the ageing population.
@Greg: I also doubt that many, if any, people really understand what skills it takes to run the ABC. But can you provide a reference for the salary comparison between Scott and Gyngell?
@Michael, I think it was actually you who made the assertion re skills required to run the ABC. You also wrote that Mr Scott “pays himself” & has a “limmo & driver”. You know this how exactly? As far as everyone else in Australia knows, Mr Scott’s salary is set by the ABC Board. The same board that can remove him from the job you say he can’t be fired from.
On the salary comparison, both are on the public record (Channel 9 is a Public Company). I’m sure you can operate a calculator.
http://www.crikey.com.au/2013/.....ry-survey/
4% of $19.6m = $784,000
The Murdouch won the election and now is winning the media wars. Dumb down the discussion with shock jocks propaganda and feed the masses prejudice and fear.
& Michael salary comparison – Mark Scott $800k pa – DAvid Gyngell http://www.theaustralian.com.a.....5bebfe5341 – $19m pa
@Greg: I’m Michael, not the earlier ‘Mike’. And nor am I condescending and sarcastic, and certainly not when I’ve just made a fool of myself by failing to distinguish between someone who disagrees with me and someone who agrees with me. Thanks julie and Chookman for providing the references.
Fair call, sorry mate.
Shows how underpaid ABC managers are. Imagine how much Scott would get paid if the ABC out-rated TEN … oh … hang on.
(That should get the right-wing loonies going).
Mike … I invite you to be first.
No worries. ‘Scuse me for being a bit harsh; lots of emotion over media issues at the moment.