Journalists at one of Australia’s major news companies have begun a five-day strike following a dispute over pay and conditions.
Staff from The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, the Australian Financial Review, the Brisbane Times, and WAtoday walked off their job from the morning of July 26.
The move came on the eve of the Paris Olympics, with Nine Publishing having sent a large contingent of reporters to cover the Games.
Members from the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) demanded a pay rise in line with inflation, a commitment to workplace diversity, safeguards around AI, and a fair deal for freelancers.
After months-long negotiations, they rejected a revised enterprise bargaining offer from Nine Publishing on July 25, arguing it “fails to include a fair pay rise that keeps ahead of the cost of living.”
The latest offer included a 3.5 percent pay rise in the first year, 4 percent in the second year, and 3 percent in the third year.
Journalists Deserve More, Union Says
Union official Michelle Rae said Nine journalists were being asked to do more for less.Ms. Rae argued it’s “totally unacceptable” that the company is asking workers to choose between “a modest pay rise and the possibility of more job cuts” after already cutting 90 jobs in its publishing division in June.
It came after Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, announced it would not renew its multi-million-dollar deals with Australian media outlets for content once contracts expire in 2024.
In an email to staff on June 28, which was obtained by AAP, Nine CEO Mike Sneesby said the redundancies were important to “responsibly manage costs through the cycle” and “keep investing in digital growth opportunities across Nine.”
But Ms. Rae said that profits to shareholders for the past few years have been “bloated” by the Meta deal and that the company “always knew that golden goose would not last forever.”
“Now the Meta deal is over it is the profit bottom line that should be cut, not the frontline editorial staff upon whom Nine’s reputation for independent quality journalism depends.”
The opinion was echoed by the Guardian Australia’s MEAA House committee which supported the union members’ decision.
“Journalists have worked hard through a global pandemic and a cost of living crisis, in an industry that is increasingly volatile,” the committee said.
“It is irresponsible and disrespectful to punish the very people that the company relies on for its success in pursuit of shareholder profits.”
Nine Defends Its Offer
In a statement to media outlets, a Nine spokesperson stated its latest proposal was a fair and reasonable offer while noting that the strike would not affect the production of its publishing mastheads.“Nine recognises the rights of unions to take industrial action but believe that a return to the negotiating table is the best way to progress the EBA,” the spokesperson said.
“With our new and improved proposal representing a fair and reasonable offer for our people, we remain open to resuming good faith negotiations at the earliest opportunity.”
“We can confirm comprehensive plans are in place to ensure the production and distribution of Nine Publishing mastheads will not be impacted and our readers will continue to have access to unrivalled coverage of the Paris Olympics.”
