Nine CEO Mike Sneesby has arrived back on home soil, touching down after a week in Paris. He returns to the office on Wednesday morning alongside returning journalists, whose five day strike finishes today.
On Tuesday afternoon, MEAA members were contacted about an “urgent meeting” at Sydney’s Qantas international terminal. Members were told to arrive at 3:30 pm to “welcome Sneesby back and remind him of the sacrifice you have made.”
Just over a dozen people showed up, wearing the matching t-shirts featuring a caricature of Sneesby running with the Olympic torch that have become synonymous with the pay deal campaign.
Sneesby never appeared.
When journalists return to their desks today, they will also resume negotiations with Nine management, as the parties attempt to broker a new enterprise bargaining agreement.
After several months of negotiations, the union said the most recent offer was rejected because it “still fails to include a fair pay rise that keeps ahead of the cost of living.” News Corp reported that the rejected offer – the catalyst for the strike – was a 3.5% annual pay rise, compared to the 2% which was already in place.
The union argues Nine has been “spending hundreds of thousands of dollars wining and dining its top managers and their guests in Paris but says it needs to sack 90 journalists to save costs.”
With Sneesby back home, Nine will be represented during the second week of the Olympics by chief sales officer Michael Stephenson and chief finance and strategy officer, plus MD of Olympics and Paralympics, Matt Stanton.
Acting director of MEAA Media, Michelle Rae, said: “The belligerence of management leading up to and during this strike has damaged the company’s reputation.
“It is overdue for Nine’s chief executive Mike Sneesby to listen to the concerns of MEAA members that independent and fearless journalism that holds power to account requires investment and support from management.
“Sneesby and his fellow executives need to get their priorities in order by recognising there is no financial bottom line without a strong journalistic frontline.”
In 2023, Sneesby’s statutory remuneration was listed as $3.41 million.
Beyond the strike action, MEAA has encouraged readers to “help keep up the pressure on Nine publishing by using the feedback forms on each publication’s website”, with instructions to leave messages saying “that management needs to meet with workers and do a deal, because the quality of the journalism our members who are striking over is the reason you subscribe.”
Political cartoonist Matt Golding submitted a blank square in place of this week’s cartoon, in support of his striking colleagues.
Tomorrow’s @theage @smh cartoon, in
solidarity with my Nine Publishing colleagues on strike. #MEAAmedia #DontTorchJournalism pic.twitter.com/fS6JRcyczf— MattGolding Cartoons (@GoldingCartoons) July 29, 2024
Following the announcement of 200 job cuts at Nine in June, MEAA members at Nine Publishing passed a resounding vote of no confidence in Sneesby in early July.
The reason for the cuts was to “offset the loss of revenue from the Meta deal and challenges in the advertising market,” with Sneesby saying at the time that “in order for us to be able to keep investing in digital growth opportunities across Nine, we must continue to responsibly manage costs through the cycle.”
The strike also follows former news boss Darren Wick‘s exit amidst allegations of inappropriate behaviour, and the shuttering of Pedestrian-licensed titles including Vice, Gizmodo, Refinery29, Kotaku, and Lifehacker.