Bureau of Meterology live crosses will not be heard on ABC Local Radio stations next week to ensure that messages about industrial action do not make it to the national broadcaster’s airwaves.

ABC Local stations normally do regular live crosses to BoM reporters in breakfast shows, The Country Hour and many other timeslots, but will drop those segments over the next 7 days while the Bureau takes industrial action.

radioinfo has learned that BoM staff offered to continue their reports, as long as they could read a union message at the end, but the ABC will not allow that under its Editorial Policy guidelines.

Community and Public Sector Union national secretary Nadine Flood says staff were frustrated that after almost a year of bargaining, they still had no concrete pay offer from the bureau: “They know from what’s happening in other agencies that the Government is giving them less say at work and making it easier to cut jobs. Understandably they are not going to take this lying down. BoM staff love the work they do and they know that the service they provide is really important to all of the community… They are vital to the community so it’s a shame that this Government doesn’t recognise that.”

In response to the industrial action vote, the weather bureau released a statement saying: “The Bureau is continuing to work to achieve the best possible pay offer for its staff with a focus on maintaining job security, fulfilling work roles and career options. The Bureau is disappointed that the CPSU has decided to apply for a ballot of its members to take protected industrial action, as the Bureau is bargaining in good faith with representatives and expects that an offer will be on the table soon.”