Media Employees Go on Strike Day Before Olympics, Urging to Protect Journalism
Journalists at one of Australia’s major news companies have initiated a five-day strike due to disagreements over pay and conditions, a union official stated. The staff from The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, the Australian Financial Review, the Brisbane Times, and WAtoday walked off their jobs on July 26 amidst preparations for the Paris Olympics where Nine Publishing had deployed a significant number of reporters.
Members of the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) are pushing for a pay increase in line with inflation, a commitment to workplace diversity, safeguards around AI, and fair treatment for freelancers. After rejecting a revised offer from Nine Publishing that they deemed inadequate as it did not meet their demands, the journalists organized rallies outside offices in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, and Perth to advocate for fair wages and a work environment that values diversity and ethical use of technology.
Union official Michelle Rae emphasized that journalists at Nine are standing up for diverse newsrooms that accurately represent the communities they cover, for ethical AI practices, and for better compensation. The strike is also a response to recent job cuts in the publishing division of the company.
Despite Nine’s defense of its offer as fair and reasonable, the union members and Guardian Australia’s MEAA House committee are united in their support for the strike, highlighting the importance of valuing journalists who have worked tirelessly through challenging times like the pandemic and economic uncertainties.
The strike is expected to coincide with the opening weekend of the Paris Olympics, but Nine Publishing assures readers that its operations will not be affected, and coverage of the Games will continue as planned.
