ABC Staff Strike Over Pay, Disrupting Broadcasts

0:00Thousands of Australian broadcasting corporation staff, including journalists, are set to strike this Wednesday. It's the first major walkout in 20 years after 60% rejected the latest pay deal. The vote involved 75.6% of workers, with a no-side winning by nearly 400 votes. Earlier this week, ABC's Chief People Officer shared the results in an email to staff. She first got the numbers wrong, saying most had approved it, but quickly corrected herself to confirm the rejection. This action involves members from two key unions, the media, entertainment, and arts alliance, and the community and public sector union. It starts at 11 a.m. Wednesday and could halt live radio and television broadcasts across the network. The last big strike hit the ABC back in 2006, also overpay. That 24-hour stoppage caused major disruptions to programming. Union leaders say negotiations continue, but tensions remain high as staff push for a fair offer.

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