24-hour stoppage by media workers

By Anthony Thirwall
and Melanie Sjoberg

ADELAIDE -- Workers from three unions involved in the production of the Advertiser, Adelaide's only daily, went out on a 24-hour stoppage on June 4 in response to management attempts to impose harsh terms for productivity and enterprise bargaining.

The Media, Arts and Entertainment Alliance, the Printing and Kindred Industries Union and the Federated Clerks Union have taken a united stand, in line with action by members of the unions around the country.

Management is attempting to impose enterprise bargaining on small section groups and by separate state agreements. The unions are arguing that negotiations, relating to around 10,000 workers, should be united across the states. The main issues are a failure to implement a 7% wage increase under Accord VII and not acknowledging productivity changes already implemented. Management is proposing multiskilling across jobs from printing to journalism.

One journalist on the picket line told Green Left Weekly that they already worked extra hours and had taken on new tasks, because “times were tough and you just had to do it”. Newscorp has benefited from this to the tune of $689 million profit this year!

This article was posted on the Green Left Weekly Home Page.
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