ABC employees vote against pay rise freeze requested by government

The ABC’s workforce has voted to enforce their enterprise agreement and insist on a 2% pay rise the government had asked them to defer for six months.

The increase was approved by the Fair Work Commission last January, but Communications Minister Paul Fletcher wrote to the ABC in May, expecting the pay rise, which takes effect tomorrow, to be frozen, despite it being signed off on by the Commission and accounted for in this year’s budget.

The staff ballot to vote on whether the freeze would go ahead opened last Monday, 21 September, and closed on Friday. In an email to staff, seen by Mumbrella, the ABC’s chief people officer Rebekah Donaldson confirmed staff had voted against the pay rise deferral, and the raise would be included in the next pay cycle.