Nine Publishing strike solidarity statements

MEAA Media House Committees around Australia have posted messages of support for journalists at Nine Publishing who began a five-day strike on Friday, July 26.

ABC National House Committee

The ABC MEAA House Committee stands with our colleagues at Nine Publishing as they start five days of protected stop work action over its Enterprise Bargaining Agreement dispute. 

It comes at a hard time for Nine Publishing journalists, whose newsrooms have once again been decimated with the company’s recent announcement that up to 90 jobs will be cut across its workforce. 

About 250 roles have been cut at major Australian publishing companies in recent months which is deeply concerning for all journalists and the public.

Without a strong and effective media communities will be less informed, and the powerful will not be held to account. 

We support MEAA members’ right to bargain for fair wages and conditions in line with the skill, commitment and dedication required as a media worker.

We call on Nine Publishing to negotiate with its staff to reach a fair outcome and for the government to hear the concerns of the industry around the decline in journalism across the country.

AAP House Committee

Recent weeks for our industry have been devastating.

At Nine Publishing, facing 90 job losses and tough pay negotiations, our colleagues have voted to go on strike for five days from Friday. This decision would not have been taken lightly.

Across the country, newsrooms are being hit with cuts to journalist numbers, publications are closing and others are reducing publication days.

As AAP’s union delegates we stand in solidarity with our Nine colleagues and those at outlets also fighting for better pay and conditions and against unrelenting redundancies.

Guardian Australia House Committee

Guardian Australia’s MEAA House Committee stands in solidarity with our colleagues at The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Australian Financial Review, Brisbane Times and WAtoday, who are taking industrial action in pursuit of fairer pay, secure jobs, newsroom diversity, protections around AI, better rights for freelancers, and to protect journalism.

It comes on the heels of Nine management announcing it would disproportionately target the publishing division of the business for a swathe of redundancies, despite its newsrooms maintaining profitability in a tough economic climate.

Journalists have worked hard through a global pandemic and a cost of living crisis, in an industry that it increasingly volatile. It is irresponsible and disrespectful to punish the very people that the company relies on for its success in pursuit of shareholder profits. We call on Nine’s management to return to the bargaining table with a fair and reasonable offer that respects the skill and experience of its staff.

MEAA WA Branch Council

The members of the WA branch of the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance offer their support and solidarity to the local staff of Nine Publishing, who will be taking industrial action from Friday in their pursuit of a fair and workable enterprise bargaining agreement.

Journalists from WAToday in Perth will join their colleagues at The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, The Australian Financial Review and Brisbane Times in walking off the job – after more than 90 per cent of staff agreed to industrial action.

Social media posts have already garnered significant online support for the action – and staff across the country will be out on Friday and over the weekend and personally calling for the public to do the same.

Members of the MEAA WA branch will join their fellow members to voice their support for their action of last-resort – which came after the company’s announcement during negotiations that 90 jobs would be cut from the mastheads.

“Strike action truly is the last resort any journalist would want to have to take,” said MEAA WA President Tim Clarke.

“Therefore the staff at WAToday, like their colleagues nationwide, must feel they only have one option left – which is a position no journalist should ever be put in.

“It must be hoped that this action will mean the bosses at Nine truly begin to listen to their workers, and understand they are by far the most valuable asset they have.

“Which should be reflected in any offer that is put forward to them.”