ABC Staff Stage 24-Hour Strike Over Pay and Conditions
Prominent figures from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), including seasoned journalists like David Marr of Late Night Live and Fran Kelly, a familiar voice on Radio National, joined over 2,000 staff in a 24-hour work stoppage on Wednesday. The industrial action, orchestrated by their unions, highlights deep-seated concerns over inadequate pay and deteriorating working conditions, with staff pushing for a 10 per cent wage increase over three years.
The walkout significantly impacted ABC’s domestic services, with many programs replaced by transmissions from the BBC. At a rally outside the ABC’s Sydney offices, Fran Kelly, a long-serving political journalist and former host of RN Breakfast, articulated the core of the staff’s grievance. She described a situation where dedicated journalists and producers are forced to leave the ABC, not by choice, but out of necessity to secure a sustainable livelihood and support their families.
“I’ve seen too many sensational journalists, committed journalists, committed producers leave [the ABC] not because they wanted to, but because they had to because they just had to get a life and get their family going, and that’s what they had to do,” Kelly told the assembled crowd. She was joined at the rally by Michael Slezak, president of the media union and an ABC journalist himself, while Four Corners reporter Angus Grigg was also present in the crowd. Similar gatherings took place in Melbourne, demonstrating a united front from ABC employees across the country.
In Melbourne, business reporter Dan Ziffer addressed staff, underscoring the precariousness of employment within the organisation. He shared anecdotes of journalists facing job insecurity so severe that they could be lauded with awards one day, only to be denied a car loan the next, illustrating the tangible impact of the current conditions on their lives.
The timing of the strike drew criticism from ABC’s Managing Director, Hugh Marks. Speaking to Hamish Macdonald on ABC Radio Sydney, Marks suggested that escalating international events, such as conflicts in the Middle East and the ongoing fuel crisis, presented a critical juncture where staff should be present to provide vital information to the public. He had previously broadened the definition of “emergency broadcasting” to encompass matters of “national or international importance,” implying that these global events fell under this new, wider scope.
When pressed by Macdonald on whether the fuel crisis and Middle Eastern conflicts were included in this expanded definition, Marks stated it “depends upon how those matters progress.” He added, “It is not a great time for our team to be out. There are a lot of things happening in the world.”
Marks, a former chief executive of Nine Entertainment Co. (which owns this masthead), also indicated his desire for the Fair Work Commission to step in and mediate the dispute. However, this avenue is contingent on negotiations becoming “intractable,” a status that cannot be formally declared until nine months of bargaining have passed, a milestone not reachable by the ABC until July.
Rohan Doyle, an employment and industrial relations partner at Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer, cautioned that this timeline could lead to prolonged periods of rolling industrial action if a resolution isn’t reached. “Industrial action can be taken right up to when the intractable bargaining declaration is issued, and normally you’d see unions exercising their rights and putting that kind of lawful pressure on employers [until then] in the hope they can extract some concessions,” Doyle explained.
As the strike commenced, ABC’s Melbourne and Sydney radio stations implemented a pre-recorded announcement acknowledging the disruption, followed by the 1980s track “Waiting for a Star to Fall.” The message stated, “Due to industrial action, we can’t bring you your usual program. We apologise for the interruption. Regular ABC radio programs will resume as soon as possible.” The ABC has contested the unions’ figures regarding the number of staff participating in the strike.
On the ABC TV news channel, presenter Gemma Veness alerted viewers to potential programming disruptions. Following 11 am, the broadcast transitioned to a feed from BBC World News America. Consequently, the flagship 7 pm news bulletin and the 7.30 program were cancelled for Wednesday evening.
Cassie Derrick of the media union emphasised that for the ABC to deliver quality news on critical national and international issues, it must invest in providing “quality jobs.” She stated, “Our members take their obligations to public safety very seriously, but they won’t be taken for a ride.”
The core demands from ABC staff centre on addressing what they describe as pervasive issues of low pay, unsatisfactory working conditions, and a lack of job security. The ABC, conversely, maintains that its offer of a 10 per cent pay rise over three years is reasonable, considering its constrained funding environment and the generally long tenure of its employees. The public broadcaster receives over $1.1 billion in annual taxpayer funding.
Opposition Communications spokeswoman Sarah Henderson, speaking outside the ABC’s Parliament House bureau as the strike began, labelled the decision to strike as “an absolute disgrace.” She argued that at a time of a fuel crisis and a cost-of-living crisis, the public needs ABC journalists actively reporting in the field. Henderson, a former ABC employee and union member, expressed support for the staff’s right to pursue their case but questioned the timing of the industrial action.
