Channel 10 employees donate to legal fight against the network

Studio 10 host Narelda Jacobs is among Channel 10 employees who have joined the fight against Network Ten.

Channel 10 employees are helping fund a legal fight against the network.

Studio 10 host Narelda Jacobs is one of a number of employees who have donated to a war chest that aims to take the network to the federal court over an alleged breach of safe working conditions.

The network is currently facing legal action after Canberra-based journalist Tegan George filed documents with the federal court alleging Network Ten breached the Fair Work Act.

George, who has been on leave from the Parliament House press gallery role since the middle of last year, says in documents filed with the Federal Court she was belittled and humiliated by the network’s star political editor, Peter van Onselen — they are claims he denies.

George, with the help of friends, is attempting to raise money for legal costs associated with taking the matter to court.

More than $40,000 has been raised in less than a week via an online fundraiser set up by author Sally Rugg.

Tegan George is taking Network Ten to court and has named political editor Peter van Onselen in her statement of claim.

Among the donors are the Studio 10 host, who chipped in $50, and 10 News journalist Lachlan Kennedy who added $100.

News.com.au reached out to Jacobs and Kennedy for comment but did not get a response.

A spokesperson for Network Ten told news.com.au they would not comment on the matter.

The Guardian’s Amanda Meade wrote on Friday that a number of George’s colleagues at Ten had contributed to the fundraiser anonymously “but some brave souls felt so strongly about showing their support for the political reporter they’ve put their names to their donations”.

Jacobs has not shied away from the story on social media, either. After the matter was raised on The Project last week by Carrie Bickmore and The Guardian’s Amy Remeikis, Jacobs tweeted: “Many heroes have emerged today”.

She tagged Bickmore and Remeikis in the post, as well as outgoing Australian of the Year Grace Tame who van Onselen had criticised for refusing to smile when meeting the Prime Minister.

George has support from former colleagues, too.

Many heroes have emerged today. @AmyRemeikis@carriebickmore@TamePunk 🙏🏾 https://t.co/nSQFHkgKuu

— Narelda Jacobs (@NareldaJacobs10) January 25, 2022

Former Network Ten newsreader Tracey Spicer wrote on Twitter: “It’s incredibly difficult for one woman to stand up against a TV network. Scared the crap out of me when I did it back in 2006.

“Again, without commenting on the particular allegations – that’s a matter for the court – Tegan George is courageous.”

George’s statement of claim lodged with the federal court refers to a conversation with a Network Ten executive director about Van Onselen in which he allegedly called the political editor “batshit crazy” and said “we just have to get used to it”.

Van Onselen rejected the characterisation when he spoke with ABC Mornings host Virginia Trioli on Monday.

While Ten prepares to file its defence against George’s allegations, the money keeps coming in for George’s legal fight — one that will be led by the country’s foremost expert on employment law, Josh Bornstein from Maurice Blackburn.

Channel 10 employees are helping fund a legal fight against the network and its star political editor Peter van Onselen.

The fundraising page set up by her friends declares the “significant price tag” associated with taking the claim to the Federal Court “is a problem in and of itself”.

“Like most individuals, Tegan doesn’t have the means to participate in a legal process alone, so her friends and I have persuaded her to let me put a call out to the public for help,” the fundraiser reads.

“Peter van Onselen, who is named in Tegan’s case against Network 10, has had a long career in the media and politics. He worked for Tony Abbott in John Howard’s ministry, before working for A Current Affair and then becoming a host on Sky News for seven years.

“He is a contributing editor at The Australian. For the last three years he’s been the political editor at Network 10, where he was Tegan’s boss.

“Unfortunately, taking a claim to the Federal Court comes with a significant price tag. This is a problem in and of itself that we believe should be fixed in the long term,” George’s friends wrote in the fundraiser.