Journalists at Nine Entertainment are today due to start a five day strike over a pay dispute.
The titles affected include the Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, The Australian Financial Review, Brisbane Times and WAtoday.
The stop work is due to continue for five days, including the opening weekend of the Paris Olympic Games.
The action was due to start at 11am AEST today.
The decision to take action follows what the journalists say is the company’s refusal to negotiate a fair deal that delivers a better than CPI increase, diversity pay audit and quotas, protection against the use of AI and adherence to the MEAA freelance charter of rights.
This comes against the background Nine announcing 90 job cuts, multi-million dollar pay outs to misbehaving senior executives, and the purchase of the broadcast rights to the Olympics for a reported $100 million.
“The company’s pay offer fails to acknowledge cost of living pressures and management has not dealt with other claims from journalists including a genuine commitment to better workplace gender and cultural diversity, improvements to grading progression and protection through consultation in relation to AI,” said Michelle Rae, the acting director of the media section of the journalists' union, the MEAA.
“These mastheads are strong financial performers, and have a reputation for award-winning journalism, and Nine needs to invest in its editorial front line ahead of its financial bottom line.
“The decision to go on strike was not made lightly as an event like the Olympics only comes along once every four years.
“Members regret the disruption the industrial action may cause."
Nine, with rights to TV, streaming, audio and digital at the the Olympic and Paralympic Games, says it has written $135 million of advertising revenue.
The media group is taking 123 staff to Paris to cover broadcast production, for 5000 hours of programming.
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