Union says government proposal for ABC wage freeze threatens broadcaster's independence
The journalists’ union has blasted the Morrison government for exerting pressure on the ABC to embark on a sixmonth wage freeze, declaring the intervention by the communications minister, Paul Fletcher, threatens the national broadcaster’s independence.
The blast from the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance comes as Guardian Australia has learned the national broadcaster’s managing director, David Anderson, told a staff meeting earlier this week senior executives would forgo their bonuses and “at-risk” payments this financial year because of the Covid-19 crisis.
Anderson wrote to all ABC staff on Wednesday evening confirming that was his position, and also revealing that he had requested his salary be reduced by 5% in light of the pandemic and the budgetary pressure on the organisation.
“The ABC decided in April that it was not appropriate in the current environment to pay bonuses to senior executives or any salary at-risk payments this financial year, and as managing director, I declined the 2% increase that would have been paid to me pursuant to the Remuneration Tribunal determination this July,” Anderson’s email said.
“I also requested (and had approved) that my salary be reduced by 5% from April until the end of September. The savings realised from these measures, and other reductions to expenditure this financial year, have contributed to content initiatives during the global pandemic.”
Guardian Australia revealed on Wednesday that Fletcher wrote to Anderson this week flagging his expectation that the organisation would defer a 2% increase for all employees scheduled to take effect in October under the ABC’s enterprise agreement.
Fletcher’s warning shot follows the government’s decision in early April to defer general wage increases for commonwealth public servants for six months. The public service commissioner followed up that directive by writing to all non-public service agencies – including the ABC – informing them the government expected them to adopt the same practice.
The communications minister told Anderson in this week’s letter the ABC embarking on a six-month wage pause would not only be consistent with the practice being applied across government agencies during the Covid-19 pandemic, it would also be a “highly appropriate gesture of solidarity” with jour
nalists in commercial media who are facing pay cuts and the closure of their organisations because of a precipitous dive in advertising revenue.
But Paul Murphy, the chief executive of the MEAA, declared on Wednesday that Fletcher had engaged in overreach. Murphy said the warning about the pay freeze was “just another shot in the culture wars” and indicative of the Coalition’s “unhealthy obsession with the ABC”.
Murphy said the intervention by the communications minister turned this “into an issue of ABC independence”. He said pay outcomes at the national broadcaster were “none of the government’s business” and any variation of the current enterprise agreement was a matter for ABC management and the unions, not the government.
Anderson’s email to all staff echoes Murphy’s point about independence, but it does not reveal which way the organisation will jump on the wage freeze for all employees.
“Unlike the Australian Public Service, the ABC does not have the ability to unilaterally alter the working conditions of its employees,” Anderson’s email to staff says.
He says the determination made for public sector staff during Covid-19 does not apply to the ABC and “the independence of the ABC from government direction is set out in the ABC Act”.
But Anderson also says the relevant legislation requires the ABC to give consideration to any policy proposed by the minister in relation to the administration of the ABC, and he says “this consideration will be given”.
“I don’t believe this proposal in any way reflects negatively on the hard work of all of you during this period, or during the bushfires last summer, and the contribution the ABC continues to make to the community every day.”
“We will provide you an update on this matter after further consideration.”