My commentary on the current situation in the Australian media has been printed this week by Green Left Weekly.
Check it out at http://www.greenleft.org.au/2008/767/39554
Also, just a couple of follow up articles on the Fairfax Strike...
Green Left Weekly's Margarita Windisch interviews MEAA Spokesperson Mike Dobbie here
Solidarity Online interviews a member of the Fairfax union house committee here
Showing posts with label strike. Show all posts
Showing posts with label strike. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Fairfax Strike Ends With "Agreement"
On Monday 1 September, Fairfax media workers returned to work after what the MEAA describe as a "enterprise bargaining breakthrough".
During their four day strike, the media workers were involved in rallies at their various workplaces. Threats by management were made, but these were overcome by many journalists and other media workers unafraid to stand up to corporate interest.
The four days opened doors for people advocating for media reform in this country, in the limited space that is allocated outside the mainstream, and it will be interesting to see how the new dynamics in the media continue to evolve. One thing is for sure though, while media continues to put corporate interest, above all else, there will always be a reason to fight it. Our problem is coming together and being able to effectively advocate the changes we need and grow a wider movement around it.
More details here
During their four day strike, the media workers were involved in rallies at their various workplaces. Threats by management were made, but these were overcome by many journalists and other media workers unafraid to stand up to corporate interest.
The four days opened doors for people advocating for media reform in this country, in the limited space that is allocated outside the mainstream, and it will be interesting to see how the new dynamics in the media continue to evolve. One thing is for sure though, while media continues to put corporate interest, above all else, there will always be a reason to fight it. Our problem is coming together and being able to effectively advocate the changes we need and grow a wider movement around it.
More details here
Friday, August 29, 2008
Media Workers Protest Mass Sacking
Strking Workers at the Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, Newcastle Herald an the Illawarra Mercury, have today been joined by other journalists and members of the public in actions against Fairfax's mass sackings. In Sydney, the actions directly confronted Fairfax boss, David Kirk.
See a video of the action here
In other related news...
All papers have continued publication with the assistance of scab workers...
Mike Carlton has been sacked for refusing to submit his column for this Saturday's SMH. Fairfax management has decided that columnists can not strike. The Workplace ombudsman is currently investigating the case and a petition in support of Carlton can be signed here
Although AMWU print workers have promised to not cross any picket line, it is still uncertain whether picket lines will be set up to disrupt the production and delivery of the weekend newspapers.
There could be legal trouble ahead for the MEAA. This is due to the current workplace laws that make any strike taken without a secret ballot illegal.
Another industry set to suffer from the Fairfax fallout are in-house Media Law Professionals. This is despite the fact that outsourcing this work will cost more and will limit the flexibility to report, especialy on latebreaking news.
The campaign can be followed at http://www.fairgofairfax.org.au/
The facebook group can be accessed here
See a video of the action here
In other related news...
All papers have continued publication with the assistance of scab workers...
Mike Carlton has been sacked for refusing to submit his column for this Saturday's SMH. Fairfax management has decided that columnists can not strike. The Workplace ombudsman is currently investigating the case and a petition in support of Carlton can be signed here
Although AMWU print workers have promised to not cross any picket line, it is still uncertain whether picket lines will be set up to disrupt the production and delivery of the weekend newspapers.
There could be legal trouble ahead for the MEAA. This is due to the current workplace laws that make any strike taken without a secret ballot illegal.
Another industry set to suffer from the Fairfax fallout are in-house Media Law Professionals. This is despite the fact that outsourcing this work will cost more and will limit the flexibility to report, especialy on latebreaking news.
The campaign can be followed at http://www.fairgofairfax.org.au/
The facebook group can be accessed here
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Fairfax Workers Strike Kicks Off
Fairfax media workers have not taken the attack on their industry lying down. Today workers, in newspapers like the Age, the Sydney Morning Herald and the Financial Review, have decided to strike until Monday.
Already this has resulted in a sharp fall in the Fairfax media share price. But the cost for the 550 workers, including a substential number of editorial positions, is clearly going to be a lot larger.
Regional Papers, like the Newcastle Herald and the Wollongong Mercury, are likely to proportionally be the hardest hit. It is perhaps a sign of the times ahead that today the Age and SMH featured stories from their respective cities zoos on their front page.
Already this has resulted in a sharp fall in the Fairfax media share price. But the cost for the 550 workers, including a substential number of editorial positions, is clearly going to be a lot larger.
Regional Papers, like the Newcastle Herald and the Wollongong Mercury, are likely to proportionally be the hardest hit. It is perhaps a sign of the times ahead that today the Age and SMH featured stories from their respective cities zoos on their front page.
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