Adam Maclean
On September 21, Australian Broadcasting Corporation members of the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) and the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance held a 24-hour national stoppage.
After 10 months of negotiations with ABC management — and 10 years of bullying and under-funding from successive Labor and Liberal governments — ABC staff rejected management's latest 3.5% pay offer, which does not address the 15% decline in wages over the last decade.
Picket lines were held in Adelaide, Brisbane, Darwin, Melbourne, Newcastle, Perth and Sydney, collectively involving around 800 people. In Sydney, where nearly 300 people rallied, many speakers expressed their concern about management proposals that will drastically alter their employment conditions in return for a below-inflation pay offer.
ABC Television reporter and union delegate Geoff Sims told the rally the strike was about stopping the public broadcaster from sliding "progressively ever backwards ... Let's try to remember what the ABC is all about. The core business is broadcasting; it's not about putting men and women in suits."
The strike, involving up to 3000 employees nationwide, affected morning radio programs and television services, including the 7.30 Report and Lateline. Local evening news bulletins were replaced with a single national round-up produced by skeleton crews. AM and PM were replaced by a BBC feed, and Radio National and ABC NewsRadio were taking feeds from the BBC in London.
The ABC's official line was that industrial action was causing only "minimal disruption", but in reality high-level managers, including ABC radio head Sue Howard, found themselves back behind the microphone.
Ninety-four per cent of union members endorsed an indefinite campaign of stoppages and bans in a secret ballot counted two weeks ago. At union meetings held across the ABC, members unanimously pledged one day's pay per month to a fighting fund so staff best placed to have an impact can strike more often.
Both unions are experiencing significant membership growth. In Sydney, more than 20 ABC staff joined the CPSU on the picket line and remained at the protest. In the last week, the CPSU has processed nearly 150 membership applications.
For regular campaign updates and to leave your messages of support, visit <http://www.cpsu.org.au/campaigns/ABC>.