Striking Fairfax workers risk fines

STAFF at the Sydney operations of Fairfax Media, including The Sydney Morning Herald and The Sun-Herald, face fines totalling $1.5million after last night launching indefinite strike action in defence of up to 35 production workers who will be made redundant under a company reorganisation.

STAFF at the Sydney operations of Fairfax Media, including The Sydney Morning Herald and The Sun-Herald, face fines totalling $1.5million after last night launching indefinite strike action in defence of up to 35 production workers who will be made redundant under a company reorganisation.

The decision to strike by 258 workers coincided with the formal completion yesterday of Fairfax's merger with Rural Press. The action followed a heated, two-hour staff meeting, where the reorganisation moves, as well as plans to introduce Australian Workplace Agreements, were condemned.

The resolution to go on strike was passed with only eight dissenters, despite the fact staff at the meeting were warned of potential penalties of $6000 each under the Government's Work Choices legislation.

"Our arses are exposed to the tune of $6000," said Gerard Noonan, co-convener of the Fairfax house committee. "We are not now in a protected enterprise bargaining period."

Staff present at the meeting were also understood to be angered by an email from James Hooke, Fairfax's NSW managing director, in which it was announced the company would make a "final decision" on its reorganisation plan by today.

Journalists and other staff will picket Fairfax's Sussex Street headquarters from this morning.

A Sydney Morning Herald journalist last night said that anger had been building "for some time over a range of issues. Management has refused to discuss the redundancies and other issues with the house committee".

"Tonight we passed a resolution that we'd continue the stop-work meeting until such time as management starts negotiating."