ABC staff mulling new pay offer after strike postponed indefinitely

The planned action was going to be the first for the ABC since 2006, when the 7pm television news was put together by managers, and national bulletins were presented by a state news editor. Instead, staff – including business reporters Dan Ziffer, Michael Janda and Peter Ryan, have taken to Twitter to talk about why they are fighting for improved conditions.

ABC staff are advocating for career progression for junior staff, a transparent reported gender and race pay gap audit and a solution for the absence of buyouts, a system which previously gave staff a higher fixed base salary instead of allowances and penalty rates for overtime.

The ABC’s most recent offer, which was presented to staff on Monday, offers staff a 4 per cent per annum increase for the first two years of the proposed agreement, and a 3 per cent increase in the third year. It proposes no reduction to existing entitlements, increases to meal and district allowances, and an extension of its gender-pay audit to include staff diversity (if the data is available). Anderson also said he was preparing a clause in the agreement to promote junior staff members based on performance.

Members of Community and Public Sector Union, which also represents ABC staff, have until March 15 to decide whether to undertake industrial action over the drawn-out pay negotiations. Derrick said the MEAA would discuss the new offer with the CPSU in the coming days. There are currently no plans to reschedule Tuesday’s strike action.

The Morning Edition newsletter is our guide to the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up here.