Journalists employed by Nine Publishing will take industrial action this week in pursuit of a fair deal in a new enterprise bargaining agreement.
Journalists at the Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, The Australian Financial Review, Brisbane Times and WAtoday will begin taking action through social media and calling for public support. They will meet this week to discuss future actions including stop works.
The Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance (MEAA) notified Nine Publishing on Friday of the results of a ballot that showed more than 90% of union members who voted were in favour of protected action including an indefinite strike.
Members taking part in the action include journalists assigned to cover the Paris Olympics, which begin on 26 July.
The acting director of MEAA Media, Michelle Rae, said members were prepared to walk off the job if management did not put a serious offer on the table.
“Members’ anger is white hot that the job cuts will fall disproportionately upon the publishing division, which is profitable and productive,” she said.
“These mastheads are strong financial performers, and have a reputation for award-winning journalism, and Nine needs to put its editorial front line ahead of its financial bottom line.
“Australian Olympic athletes have the chance to stand on top of the podium once every four years, but editorial workers at Nine are delivering gold every day with quality public interest journalism.
“MEAA members are also angry at a lack of acknowledgement of the role that the independent reporting of the publishing division has played in upholding the reputation of the company’s news division.
“They don’t want to take industrial action but management’s intransigence has left them with no choice.”
The MEAA say negotiations have been underway for several months, but management has refused to budge on key claims, including a fair pay rise that keeps ahead of the cost of living, a commitment to better workplace gender and cultural diversity, improvements to grade progression, and adherence to the MEAA freelance charter of rights.
MEAA members are also seeking formal recognition of the charter of editorial independence in the new agreement along with genuine consultation and commitments over the use of generative Artificial Intelligence.
Following the announcement of 200 job cuts at Nine in June, MEAA members at Nine Publishing passed a resounding vote of no confidence in Nine’s managing director and CEO, Mike Sneesby.