Fairfax journalists across Australia have gone on strike until Friday following the revelation the media company is looking to outsource jobs to New Zealand.
Journalists from The Age, The Australian Financial Review, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Sun-Herald, The Illawarra Mercury and The Newcastle Herald began striking at 5:30pm yesterday.
In a statement, Fairfax Media said the company “will continue to publish as usual” despite Fairfax sites in Sydney, Melbourne, Newcastle and Wollongong being affected by the strike.
“Understandably our people are unsettled when they see significant changes to the way the business has operated in the past,” Fairfax chief executive Greg Hywood said. “But as I have stated many times, Fairfax Media is on a journey of change. We are reshaping the way we work. We must continue to do so to thrive in the future.”
The strike follows yesterday's news that Fairfax Regional Media plans to relocate editorial production positions at nine of its titles to Fairfax Editorial Services in New Zealand.
The changes proposed affect 66 staff at titles Illawarra Mercury, Newcastle Herald, Lake Times, Kiama Independent, Newcastle Star, Myall Coast Nota, Port Stephens Examiner and Lakes Mail.
The staff, which according to a Fairfax statement do not include reporters or photographers, have been offered redeployment or voluntary redundancies. The Media, Entertainment Arts Alliance (MEAA) has reported if the number of staff accepting redundancy payments or redeployment is seen as insufficient, Fairfax will forcibly make redundancies.
Yesterday, MEAA hit out at Farifax's tactics, saying it was a “dangerous step for Fairfax to be taking”.
MEAA federal secretary Chris Warren said in a statement: “There has been no experience in Australia of companies making the decision to offshore such a central part of the newspaper and this can only destroy the vital nexus between the newsroom and the community.
“Newspapers are not just the product of photographers’ or journalists: sub-editors are the heart of the newsroom, with vast institutional and organisational memories, and an intimate knowledge of their community. It is our belief that the entire staff should always be embedded in the community to enable the newspaper to tell the local story accurately.
“This is an alarming precedent that could be replicated on other mastheads like The Sydney Morning Herald or The Age and should be stopped before it’s too late.”
The strike follows speculation that Fairfax’s main competitor, News Limited, may axe 400 editorial jobs as part of a restructure. On Monday, a News Limited spokesperson would neither confirm nor deny the rumours.
“This shows there are very disturbing times for newspapers around the world,” MEAA media director Paul Murphy told AdNews yesterday. “We are all grappling to find a sustainable model to support quality journalism. Our members are not against change, but this change should be done in a way that supports and maintains quality journalism.”
Follow @AdNews on Twitter for breaking stories and campaigns throughout the day.
Have something to say? Send us your comments using the form below or contact the writer at alexandraroach@yaffa.com.au
Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at adnews@yaffa.com.au
Sign up to the AdNews newsletter, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for breaking stories and campaigns throughout the day.