Resolution: Nine Publishing members condemn new job cuts

The following resolution was passed by MEAA members at Nine Publishing on June 28, 2024:

We, the staff of The Age, Sydney Morning Herald, Australian Financial Review, WAtoday and the Brisbane Times, express our fury at the decision by the Nine Entertainment Company to announce 200 job cuts today, including 70 to 90 in publishing.

We note the recent poor behaviour and cultural issues in other parts of the company, which has been widely reported, and the role that the independent reporting of the publishing division has played in upholding the reputation of the company’s news division.

We demand an explanation from the company about why the publishing division appears to have been disproportionately targeted for job losses, given the recent strong financial performance by the mastheads in a particularly difficult time for all print outlets, and given the fact that the Meta money was spent across the company, rather than just on the mastheads.

We express our dismay that senior editors appear to have been kept in the dark until the last moment about the planned job cuts, despite the end of Meta funding being known for months.

As a result, staff across The Age, Sydney Morning Herald, Australian Financial Review, WAtoday and the Brisbane Times have today unanimously passed a motion of no confidence in Nine chief executive Mike Sneesby and the Nine Entertainment Company board.

This motion was passed due to a lack of progress in the current enterprise bargaining agreement negotiations and because of the job cuts that have been announced.

We consider the announcement of the job cuts during negotiations particularly poor and question whether the unionised part of the workforce at Nine has particularly been targeted.

We also call, once again, for the board to pass the Editorial Charter of Independence.

The following motion was passed by the ABC MEAA House Committee:

The ABC MEAA House Committee expresses its solidarity with Nine and Seven members facing an uncertain future after both companies announced hundreds of staff cuts.

This comes in the wake of Meta pulling its funding of news in Australia and declines in advertising revenue.

News organisations right across Australia have already been cut to bone. These latest losses are not only devastating for the employees impacted, but to the principle of a healthy media scene.

We also acknowledge ABC staff in jobs funded by deals with Meta and Google, who themselves are concerned for their future when their contracts expire later this year. We call on ABC management to provide security and surety for those employees.