Staff at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) are set to go on strike on Wednesday for the first time in two decades, following the rejection of a pay rise offer from management. The 24-hour strike will commence at 11:00 local time and is expected to disrupt live television and radio broadcasts, highlighting tensions within one of the country's key media institutions.

The strike action comes after 60% of ABC staff voted down management's proposal for a total 10% pay increase over three years—3.5% in the first year and 3.25% in each of the subsequent two years. With Australia recording an annual inflation rate of 3.8% in January, the offered raises fall below the inflation rate, effectively representing a real-terms pay cut for employees amid broader economic pressures.

Unions have criticized the offer as insufficient, arguing it fails to address numerous other concerns, including reproductive health leave and the potential replacement of journalists with artificial intelligence tools. Approximately 4,500 staff members work at ABC, with 75% participating in the vote on Sunday. Michael Slezak of the journalists' union, Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA), stated, "We can't accept a deal that cuts conditions, sends pay backwards against inflation and refuses to rule out replacing ABC journalists with AI bots."

Jocelyn Gammie of the non-journalists' Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) warned that disruptions are "inevitable" unless ABC presents a "fair offer." She added, "The last thing union members want to do is inconvenience loyal ABC audiences by disrupting programming and services, but key bargaining claims remain unresolved," underscoring the depth of the dispute.

In response, ABC managing director Hugh Marks defended the offer, claiming it "reflects the maximum level the ABC can sustainably provide and is balanced when looking across all the factors that we need to consider." Marks asserted the proposal is "both sustainable and financially responsible," but the corporation plans to seek assistance from Australia's workplace tribunal, the Fair Work Commission, to resolve the impasse. The last strike by ABC staff occurred in 2006 over similar pay and employment condition issues, indicating a recurring pattern of labor unrest within the organization.

Source: www.bbc.com