Culture

‘Sydney Morning Herald’ And ‘Age’ Journos Have Gone On Strike Over Massive Job Cuts At Fairfax

#FairGoFairfax.

by Alex McKinnon  17 March 2016
fairfax

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If the front pages of the Sydney Morning Herald and Age websites look a little sparse for the next few days, there’s a very good reason why. Earlier this afternoon, editorial staff in the Herald‘s Sydney office, the Age‘s Melbourne office and Fairfax’s Canberra Parliamentary bureau voted overwhelmingly to go on strike until Monday in protest over massive job cuts announced by Fairfax Media this morning.

Earlier today, news broke that Fairfax would be cutting the equivalent of 120 full-time editorial jobs across its network, mainly from its Sydney and Melbourne offices. According to several Fairfax journalists, that represents a massive chunk of its present workforce — anywhere from one-eighth to one-fifth of all company journalists might be up for the sack. In an emergency all-staff meeting at Fairfax’s Sydney office early this afternoon, Herald journos voted to stage a mass walkout. A short time later, a network-wide strike was announced at both of Fairfax’s major newspapers.

Other writers have reported that the company is cracking down on casual and contract work, with freelancers receiving emails informing them that their hours or rates have been cut.

Fairfax is no stranger to staff cuts. In 2012, 1,900 jobs were slashed across the network and the company’s two broadsheet newspaper were downsized. In 2014 another 80 jobs went, prompting a 24-hour strike by staff, while a year later another 22 jobs were cut, mainly from the company’s NSW regional newspapers. The striking journalists have already been inundated with messages of support via the hashtag #FairGoFairfax, with politicians, other news outlets and unions expressing their solidarity.

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Feature image via Lisa Valentin/Twitter.