Hundreds of ABC Journalists Launch First Strike in 20 Years Over Pay and AI Concerns

Sydney. Hundreds of journalists at the Australian government's public broadcaster, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), began a 24-hour strike on Wednesday. Employees stopped work to protest low pay raises, harsh working conditions, and the potential use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) replacing journalists.

This is the first time in ABC's 20-year history that employees have gone on strike. The strike has affected popular current affairs programs like the 7:30 PM show and the main morning news bulletins on Thursday. Preparations are underway to broadcast old programs or content from the BBC instead.

Union members on strike have rejected the pay raise proposal put forward by management. They stated that the proposed salary is too low compared to the rising cost of living. In addition to wages, employees are demanding job security and limitations on the use of AI in newsrooms.

Journalists began their strike at 11 AM local time on Wednesday. A large number of journalists wearing black are expected to participate in the protest at the ABC headquarters in Sydney and Melbourne.

Over 4,400 employees work at the ABC, with approximately 2,000 of them in the news department alone. Management had proposed a 10 percent pay increase phased in over three years, with a 3.5 percent increase in the first year and 3.25 percent in the remaining two years.

However, the union argues that this increase will not cover employee expenses, as the annual inflation rate in Australia is 3.8 percent.

ABC management, however, claims that this is the maximum limit they can offer.