Fairfax journos return amid ‘massive’ response to strike action

Fairfax journalists plan to return to work this morning after striking on Friday over proposed editorial job cuts.

A Fairfax employee wears a t-shirt with the slogan 'Fair go, Fairfax' during a protest against job cuts announced by Fairfax outside Parliament House in Canberra, Friday, March 18, 2016. The company yesterday announced 120 editorial positions would be cut, and in response staff voted to walk off the job until Monday. (AAP Image/Lukas Coch) NO ARCHIVING

Fairfax journalists plan to return to work en masse this morning after striking on Friday over proposed editorial job cuts at the group as the union claimed a “massive” public response.

Up to 500 journalists and other editorial staff took part in the strikes, which were branded “unprotected industrial action” by the company.

Fairfax Media also threatened to cut pay for those who walked off the job in a strongly worded email sent to staff on Friday.

Employees will assemble at the Sydney Morning Herald in Pyrmont, in Sydney, and The Age in Melbourne today to walk into the offices together at 9am.

Journalists working the 6am shift are expected to stop work to join their colleagues.

It’s understood staff will meet with the union later today to draft a list of “demands” including a ­reduction in the proposed cuts to 120 full-time equivalent positions, and consultation with staff.

Almost 9000 people had signed a petition by yesterday evening to “condemn” the company’s plans. “It’s been massive, if you look at the Fairgofairfax hashtag, ­pictures of people dumping their papers straight in the bin without reading them,” a union sources said. “(Management have) got to think about what ­reputational damage management are doing to the brand.”

It’s understood the Media ­Entertainment and Arts Alliance warned journalists on Friday they were taking illegal strike action outside of the bargaining period, which comes ahead of negotiations on a new enterprise bargaining agreement.

Nonetheless, staff voted in favour of striking 115 to 4.

“That was the anger that was there at the time,” MEAA secretary Paul Murphy said.

While Fairfax is entitled to sack any employee who participates in unlawful industrial action, The Australian understands the company opted not to apply to the Fair Work Commission for ­orders to suspend the strikes in Melbourne, Sydney and the federal parliamentary press gallery in Canberra.

The group’s existing EBA with staff expires in June.

The latest cuts have been interpreted as another step toward possibly closing the Monday-to-Friday print editions as Fairfax eyes a digital-only strategy.

Senior Fairfax journalist James Massola, who is based in Canberra, said on his Facebook page on Saturday: “we are already delivering news in ... other forums across websites, mobile, social via video and more.”

SMH deputy news editor and joint chair of the union house committee, Marcus Strom, said Fairfax Media managers and executives had a “responsibility to find new ways to make money”. “You want to prune a tree but you’re sitting on the branch,” Strom said.

Striking journalists were willing “to be flexible and adapt” but would not advocate any job losses, he said. “We just hope that this strike has made them realise we are serious about maintaining quality and we hope that the company will work with us.”

​Strom said the number of ­stories appearing on the SMH’s website over the weekend during the strike without bylines could be journalists who did not want their names known.

“Or it could just be one person writing seven stories and you don’t want the same name on all of them.”​