ABC Enterprise Bargaining strike action avoided for now

Strike action has been avoided at the ABC over the latest round of enterprise bargaining on staff wages and conditions.

The ABC held further negotiations with the CPSU and the MEAA today on a new enterprise agreement for around 4000 ABC employees. Management presented a new offer that includes a pay rise of
11.5% over three years.

The pay offer will deliver an initial 1.6% salary
increase, effective from January 2003. Another 3.2% in June
2003, followed by salary increases of 3.35% in June 2004 and 3.35% in June 2005.

The unions have suspended their threatened strike and will be asking their members to consider the revised offer at meetings to be held later this week.

If the agreement is endorsed by a formal staff vote, it is expected that it will be referred to the AIRC for certification in January 2003.