Fairfax journalists strike after redundancy announcement

Fairfax journalists across the ditch are striking until Monday after the Australian media company announced it will cut the equivalent of 120 fulltime staff.

The Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance has equated the cuts to a quarter of the media organisation’s Sydney and Melbourne editorial departments.

More than 100 Sydney Morning Herald staff walked out this afternoon against the action, soon to be followed by staff at The Age, leaving the newspapers’ management to put out the next three days’ papers.

An internal email from Fairfax editorial director Sean Aylmer said the 120 FTE cuts will come from redundancies, tightening contributor budgets and reducing travel costs and expenses.

“While we are much more efficient in producing quality journalism, we still have a way to go,” it read.

“Change is a permanent part of our industry. It is a reflection of what we know about the ways our readers are consuming our stories. We must continue to evolve with them.”

Fairfax owns a number of New Zealand publications, including the Waikato Times, Dominion Post and the Nelson Mail and the national website stuff.co.nz.

It has been approached for comment on whether any staff in this country will be affected.

Fairfax reporters go on strike until Monday. https://t.co/Z0b17shjXR @abcnews @ABCNews24 #auspol pic.twitter.com/nWuqPmDsV8

— Anna Henderson (@annajhenderson) March 17, 2016

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Raw data:

Hi

We will shortly enter a consultation period with staff and the MEAA on a proposal to reduce costs across News and Business in the Sydney and Melbourne newsrooms by the equivalent of 120 fulltime employees.

We believe that we can do this through redundancies, tightening contributor budgets and reducing travel costs and expenses.

Our decisions will be based on our understanding of our audience and the importance of our brands. Our reporting will continue to focus on investigations, state and federal politics, justice and breaking news, sport, entertainment and business.

While we are much more efficient in producing quality journalism, we still have a way to go.

Change is a permanent part of our industry. It is a reflection of what we know about the ways our readers are consuming our stories. We must continue to evolve with them.

I will be holding staff meetings in Sydney today and in Melbourne tomorrow to discuss the proposal.

Thanks

Sean