ABC employees lash ‘stressful and unsustainable’ working conditions during pay dispute

Furious ABC staff are publicly slamming the national broadcaster as a dispute over pay and working conditions turns increasingly ugly.

Furious ABC staff are publicly slamming the national broadcaster as a dispute over pay and working conditions turns increasingly ugly.

Staff had planned to stage a 40-minute stop-work protest on Tuesday afternoon – during the Reserve Bank of Australia’s interest rate decision, no less – but it was postponed after workers received a better pay offer from ABC boss David Anderson.

However, the push for better working conditions is ongoing, with ABC staff – including a number of household names – slamming the network publicly on Twitter as part of a concerted awareness campaign.

Using the hashtag #DontDiscountABC, workers took to the platform to share their gripes with their employer, with low pay and insecure conditions – given the ABC’s reliance on contracts over permanent positions – the main concerns.

The Chaser’s Dom Knight was one of many ABC stars who joined the campaign, posting: “I adore working for the ABC, but for years, I’ve been a casual with no security of employment. There are many like me at Aunty. We’re relied on some days to keep the place on air – on many others there’s no work. The loading doesn’t compensate for the instability. I’m @withMEAA.”

ABC legend Annabel Crabb responded with her own message of support, writing: “A big HEAR HEAR for this. The building is full of people in this position. #DontDiscountABC”.

Annabel Crabb was one of many ABC stars to join the Twitter campaign.

ABC News Breakfast’s finance presenter Madeleine Morris called on ABC to support young, talented journalists. Picture: Twitter

Presenter of the ABC’s The Business Rachel Pupazzoni urged her employer to “treat us better”. Picture: Twitter

ABC News Breakfast’s finance presenter Madeleine Morris also shared her own message of support, claiming the situation was leading to an exodus of young talent.

“And while I’m breaking my Twitter-boycott, too many wonderful young journos leave the ABC because of short term contracts and lack of career progression. They are the future of public service journalism. Let’s back them in. Proud to be @withMEAA #DontDiscountABC,” she wrote.

ABC reporter and photographer Harriet Tatham also revealed that this week she had “quit a permanent position to accept a contract in a role I’ve long sought after”.

“It’s ~ my 12th ABC contract. The instability is stressful & unsustainable. We need job security & pay progression – especially in our regional newsrooms. #DontDiscountABC

@withMEAA,” she shared.

Meanwhile, ABC podcast host and newsreader Matt Bevan went a step further, claiming that “the reality for many ABC staff is that it’s only possible to stay because they can rely on a spouse or inheritance to pay the bills. I moved to a regional area because housing was impossible to afford on my income. This situation isn’t healthy for the ABC. #DontDiscountABC”.

A major stop-work protest was postponed. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Jeremy Piper

And reporter and presenter of the ABC’s The Business Rachel Pupazzoni urged her employer to “treat us better”, claiming that while she was proud to have worked for Aunty for 17 years, she had been “stuck at pay/band ceilings + underpaid & fought to have that fixed + worked shift hrs + travelled away from family + $$ for professional counselling” during that time.

Many fellow social media users were full of sympathy for the cause, with many acknowledging that the instability of ongoing contracts over permanent full-time positions likely meant many staff would struggle to be approved for mortgages, although many pointed out that this had also long been the reality for young teachers.

The ABC’s latest offer to staff provides pay rises totalling 11 per cent over three years, backdated to October 1 last year, plus a $1500 sign on bonus.

ABC management has also agreed to carry out an audit of the gender and culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) pay gap, to fix the broken buyout system, and to put in place a new pathway for career progression for early and mid-career journalists.

The new offer from ABC boss David Anderson still doesn’t satisfy all employee demands. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Gary Ramage

Cassie Derrick, the media director of the media union, the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA), said in a public statement that while the updated offer was a welcome first step, it still did not meet all employee demands.

“Members are encouraged that the new offer hears their concerns on gender and race pay gaps and buyouts and comes some way to addressing claims on progression and a fair pay rise,” Ms Derrick said.

“It does not satisfy all of employees’ demands and there is still work to be done, but there is no doubt the pressure from union members has led to this better offer from ABC managing director David Anderson after his executives refused to negotiate for weeks.

“This is a major achievement for ABC employees in this campaign who have been united in their resolve to push for a better deal.”

News.com.au has contacted the ABC for comment.