ABC staff on strike agree to new pay deal

After more than a month of deliberation, staff have approved a new enterprise agreement for better remuneration and provisions. Further to HR Leader’s coverage last month of the broadcaster’s latest pay and provisions offer following a landmark 24-hour strike, ABC staff have now officially approved the new agreement.

In March 2026, over 1,000 ABC staff held a 24-hour strike — the first in 20 years — primarily over a rejected enterprise agreement that offered a 3.5% pay rise in the first year, which workers deemed below inflation and insufficient for cost-of-living pressures.

As part of the deal, ABC staff will see improved pay, job security, clearer role progression through genuine classifications, including for regional journalists, strengthened diversity measures and clearer guardrails around the use of AI.

In a statement issued on May 6th, the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) announced the decisive yes vote by members, with union chief Erin Madeley calling it “a tremendous victory for ABC staff who stood together and took courageous action to protect their livelihoods, their professions and the future of public broadcasting”, and remarking that “By withdrawing their labour, workers showed just how central they are to the ABC and to the quality independent journalism Australians rely on everyday”. She also acknowledges how “The solidarity from audiences and supporters made a real impact – from people joining strike lines, to signing petitions and donating to strike funds. That support sent a powerful message that Australians value their ABC and the workers who make it possible.”