Diehard ABC fans will have to find their news elsewhere today.
ABC staff are going on strike for the first time in 20 years, following a months-long pay dispute and accusations of unfair working conditions.
The strike will last 24 hours and is set to begin at 11am Wednesday, disrupting regular programming.
Triple J and ABC Classical will run with no hosts, the BBC will replace news broadcasting and the ABC will air re-runs, Hard Quiz filing in for 7:30 tonight.
ABC staff have been negotiating with management for better wages and conditions since November. Management’s proposed pay increase of 3.5% is below inflation, making it not much of a pay rise.
60% of staff voted “no” to the proposed increase, and cited their requests for an audit into pay gaps affecting staff with disabilities or from minorities had been ignored.
As members of the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) and Community Public Sector Union (CPSU), all union members must vote in a majority for the pay increase to go into effect.
During negotiations earlier this month, MEAA took matters into their own hands and polled ABC staff, 90% confirming they would go on strike.
ABC Managing Director Hugh Marks started sweating and offered a one-off $1,000 cash payment for existing staff, to be included in the offered package.
ABC MEAA National House Committee co-chair Michael Slezak said “we can’t accept a deal that cuts conditions, sends pay backwards against inflation and refuses to rule out replacing ABC journalists with AI bots.”
In addition to AI, ABC staff also noted concerns about career progression and job security as key points not addressed by management’s offers.
For staff battling the cost of living, the unions argue their demand for a 5.5% pay increase better suits the needs of staff and actually takes inflation into account.
Solidarity forever!
