Despite late afternoon meetings putting forward a revised enterprise bargaining offer on Thursday, journalists at Nine Publishing will begin a five day strike from today.
Media, Entertainment, and Arts Alliance (MEAA) members at The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, The Australian Financial Review, Brisbane Times and Watoday will walk off the job at 11am AEST. Picket lines and rallies are being held outside Nine offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth.
Today is the first day of the Paris 2024 Olympics, the first event in a broadcasting rights deal that Nine reportedly paid $305 million to acquire.
In a statement, Nine called the decision to go ahead with the strike “disappointing,” but confirmed that there are “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.”
“Nine recognises the rights of unions to take industrial action but believes that a return to the negotiating table is the best way to progress the EBA (enterprise bargaining agreement).
“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.”
The SMH votes to strike
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 Thursday’s offer was a 3.5% annual pay rise, compared to the 2% which was already in place.
“It’s totally unacceptable that the company is asking workers to make a choice between a modest pay rise and the possibility of more job cuts after already announcing up to 90 redundancies in its publishing division,” said acting director of MEAA Media, Michelle Rae.
“The Australian public relies on these journalists to keep them informed, to hold power to account and to shine a light on corruption and wrongdoing but they cannot do it without safe and secure jobs.
“Journalists are asking for a modest pay rise in line with CPI; nothing more and nothing less. Nine needs to put its editorial frontline ahead of its shareholder bottom line. MEAA members’ message to Nine CEO Mike Sneesby is don’t torch journalism.”
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 Age on strike
“Laughably stingy”: Journalists respond as they walk off the job
Nine Publishing employees taking part in the strike voiced their concerns and solidarity on social media, including culture reporter The Age city editor Cara Waters, culture editor Osman Faruqi, media reporter Calum Jaspan, and digital foreign editor Chris Zappone.
MEAA has also asked freelancers not to cross the picket line or accept offers of work from Nine during the strike.
Technology editor David Swan wrote: “The CEO of our parent company is in Paris carrying the Olympic torch while back home up to 90 of us journalists are set to be made redundant. These are profitable publications and the work that we do is important. We deserve better.”
Kishor Napier-Raman, CBD columnist, agreed: “Nine recently gave a boss accused of misconduct a $1 million payout. It’s putting up Scotty Cam in a five star hotel for the Paris Olympics. But this very profitable company refuses to offer its journalists fair pay. That’s why we’re striking.”
Culture reporter Meg Mason said the workers who make Nine a profitable company “should at least be entitled to a fair wage and stable jobs” and sports reporter Dan Walsh said the strike means he won’t be covering the Games.
“Would love to be covering my first Olympics. But 70-90 redundancies from a profitable section of the business, no hint of exec bonuses being given up, laughably stingy EBA talks and Scott Cam being put up in a five-star Paris hotel? We’ve got a few things to sort out first,” Walsh wrote.