Industry union the Media, Entertainment, and Arts Alliance (MEAA) has secured a victory for its members at the ABC following extensive efforts and negotiations with the Fair Work Commission.
A proposal has been presented to the Commission that would see the ABC offer voluntary redundancy opportunities to all potentially affected staff within a division if 10 or more redundancies are sought.
The proposal aims to give employees a say in their future employment prospects. Those considering leaving will have the chance to pursue a voluntary redundancy, while those who stay will have a chance at maintaining job security.
This marks the culmination of over six months of efforts by MEAA delegates, as MEAA continues to advocate for the elimination of what it calls the “unfair Hunger Games redundancy pools system.”
Last month, union members and editorial staff at the ABC passed a second vote of no confidence against managing director David Anderson, and other senior managers.
The meeting was held in response to the Fair Work Commission hearings regarding Antoinette Lattouf’s unfair dismissal claim, after she was sacked from her temporary job as host of ABC Sydney’s morning radio show in December.
See Also: David Anderson faces second vote of no confidence from ABC staff
In January, the original no confidence vote was passed 128 votes to three at a national online meeting attended by over 200 MEAA members.
Also in March, Channel 10 management conceded that the network breached the conditions of the company’s enterprise agreement.
MEAA raised concerns about issues surrounding the way that casual employees were paid – pointing to a breach over the payment of overtime for casual employees, and a failure to give casual employees access to their payslips.
In response, MEAA said Network 10 management has begun making payslips accessible and available to casual workers, in line with legal requirements addressing the issue.