ABC managing director Hugh Marks will meet with staff and representatives from the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance and the Community and Public Sector Union on Monday to progress a stalemate over pay talks.
Staff went on strike for 24 hours last Wednesday – for the first time in 20 years – after they rejected a pay offer of a 10 per cent pay rise over three years and $1000 signing bonus.
Upon return to work on Thursday, they were asked what they would accept, and what could be the next step – with options including a one-hour stop work during the next Reserve Bank of Australia rates decision in April, or a second 24-hour walk-out to week-long walk-outs during April or during budget week in May.
Action could also be limited to social media campaigns or writing to the ABC board.
Hugh Hugh Marks. Image: ABC
Hugh Marks to meet with Fair Work Commission, MEAA and CPSU
Monday’s meeting will be mediated by the Fair Work Commission.
The Sydney Morning Herald reports that on Sunday, an ABC spokesperson said that it was looking to first seek resolution with the help of the commission.
Marks appears to intend to hold firm on the current 10 per cent pay offer, but is willing to discuss other concerns raised by staff.
“I know many of them do not have ideal experiences. I can’t begin to imagine some of the experiences that some of – particularly our junior and entry-level – come through in the ABC. I think in there is something we have to address,” he said on ABC radio last Thursday.
In an interview with The Australian on Friday, Marks did suggest he might make concessions on some of the proposed changes to employment conditions for ABC staff.
“We have to get to a solution,” he said. “As opposed to pay, there are other areas that are options for me to consider … particularly issues that our junior and entry-level staff have with the organisation.
“I have to recognise that some staff have pretty poor experiences (at the ABC). And I know there are reasons for that.
“We have a model that rewards people based more on tenure than on demonstration of excellence.
“I would like to move more to a model that rewards people based on great outcomes, particularly some of our junior staff.
“We don’t currently do performance appraisals very well, so people get frustrated with that process. We’ve been working on that for six months and we’re going to continue to work on that over the course of the next few months.
“Excellence in output, excellence in the content that we deliver, is certainly a culture we’d love to have at the ABC.”
Hugh Marks responds to potential strike action
Marks responded to a request for comment from Mediaweek last Monday, addressing concerns about job security, automatic salary progression, and pay levels.
“No one has provided any evidence to me to suggest ABC staff are paid less than industry standards. In addition, the leave provisions ABC staff receive are generally more generous than many other major workplaces,” he said.
You can read his statement in full, here.