The Media Entertainment & Arts Alliance (MEAA) has condemned News Corp for the way it went about revealing a number of editorial redundancies last week.
The Australian Financial Review reported on Friday that approximately 30 editorial jobs are set to be gone from News Corp’s Aussie mastheads, including The Australian, the Herald Sun and The Daily Telegraph.
The report said the redundancies would be of both the voluntary and forced variety.
The MEAA claims News Corp did not consult with the affected staff or their unions prior to making the announcement – as required by their enterprise agreement.
Katelin McInerney, media director at the MEAA, said in a statement on Friday: “It is disrespectful to workers to read in a rival publication this morning that they will lose their jobs. The company should have been honest and upfront with its employees.
“News should have given its people the opportunity to look at other job options and ways to assist the company to meet its cost reduction targets. It’s outrageous that the company should treat loyal and long-serving specialist employees so shabbily.”
The MEAA is seeking answers from News Corp management about the future of production positions in other states, and plans to meet with union members at News Corp shortly.
