Fairfax Members Vote To Strike

Date: 28 August 2008

Fair Go Fairfax

Media Alliance members working on Fairfax publications in Sydney, Melbourne, the Illawarra and Newcastle have voted overwhelmingly to stop work immediately until Monday.

The strike will affect the company's two biggest-selling newspapers, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age in Melbourne. AMWU members from Melbourne's Tullamarine printing plant have also waled off the job.

Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance federal secretary Chris Warren said, "...people just feel frustrated at the lack of any real strategy from the company."

On Wednesday August 26, Fairfax Media CEO David Kirk and Deputy CEO Brian McCarthy announced that 550 staff would be cut. The staff reductions would take place in both Australia and New Zealand, with the latter country bearing the brunts of the cuts, with 160 full-time employees losing their jobs.

A new campaign, "Fair go, Fairfax: Don't discount journalism", was launched by the Media Alliance in protest to the cuts arguing that the jobs losses will affect "quality journalism".

For further information

Contact:	MIke Dobbie
Union:	Media Alliance
Phone:	03 9691 7101
Contact Mobile:	0401 730 195
Email:	mike.dobbie@alliance.org.au
WWW:	http://www.fairgofairfax.org.au

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