Thousands of journalists and staff at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) prepare to walk off the job this week in a heated pay dispute, risking hours-long blackouts on live radio and television broadcasts.
Workers launch the action Wednesday at 11 a.m. after 60 percent rejected the broadcaster’s latest pay proposal in a binding vote.
Chief People Officer Deena Amorelli shared the results via email to staff on Monday, noting that 75.6 percent participated, with 60 percent voting no—a shortfall of 395 votes.
First Major Walkout in Two Decades
This 24-hour strike represents the first large-scale staff walkout at ABC in 20 years, poised to severely disrupt broadcast operations nationwide.
Job Insecurity Fuels Protest
ABC journalist Ahmed Yussuf described the precarious employment landscape. In a March 20 post on X, he stated: “Before becoming a permanent staff member at the ABC, I had about nine contracts in the space of three years with contracts spanning between 10 months, to as short as one month. I am among the lucky ones who has been able to find permanent stable employment not all my colleagues have been. It’s [meant] we’ve lost so many talented people who cannot sustain that insecurity.”
Hannah Story, a writer in ABC’s Arts division, echoed these concerns. She posted on X: “Since I started with the ABC on a short-term contract five years ago, my team has been restructured out of existence—not once, but twice. Twice the ABC has made explicit how little it values specialist arts and entertainment journalism and the dedicated people who make it.”
The Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) and Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) represent the striking ABC staff.
