Thousands of ABC journalists and staff members will walk off the job this Wednesday for the first time in two decades after 60 per cent of staff voted against the broadcasterโs latest pay offer.
The ABCโs chief people officer Deena Amorelli informed staff of the results of the vote on the latest enterprise offer on Monday morning, which fell short by 395 votes.
In an email to staff, Amorelli wrongly said 60 per cent of the 75.6 per cent of ABC staff who voted, voted yes to the pay offer. She corrected the mistake shortly, informing staff that 60 per cent of staff had voted against the offer, meaning several thousand workers will likely walk off the job on Wednesday morning at 11am, potentially shutting down live radio and television shows.
There are two unions representing ABC staff – the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) and the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU).
The last major strike at the ABC was in 2006, also over a pay dispute. The 24-hour walk off caused severe disruptions to its broadcast operations.
More to come
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Calum Jaspan is a media writer for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, based in Melbourne. Reach him securely on Signal @calumjaspan.10Connect via X or email.
