ABC staff leave work

ABC staff left the job for the first time in 17 years.

During an announcement on ABC Radio Sydney, the presenter said: ‘ABC staff are taking industrial action at the moment. It can affect some of your regular schedules throughout the day.

The national broadcaster receives more than $1 billion in government funding each year.

Taxpayers have taken to social media to express their anger over the strike.

Have ABC strike indefinitely and then fire them all. We would save taxpayers a lot of money and lose absolutely nothing.’

Pictured is ABC’s headquarters in Ultimo, Sydney

On Tuesday night, the MEAA journalists union walked out on planned industrial action by 1,000 employees after ABC management agreed to draft a new labor agreement.

But broadcast workers in the Community and Public Sector Union said they were still proceeding with the strike in protest of the way management had handled the talks.

“For the CPSU, it’s about showing ABC management that our members are angry at the lack of respect they’ve been shown,” said the CPSU’s Sinddy Ealy.

‘ABC management cannot divert CPSU members from their course of action, now or ever.’

Hundreds of CPSU employees at ABC technology and control systems are believed to leave work between the hours of 7 a.m. and 3 p.m.

It is the first time ABC staff have gone on strike since 2006, when management had to step in to produce and present news bulletins.

The MEAA said it called off its strike after ABC managing director David Anderson stepped in to take over the talks and try to reach a compromise.

“Clearly, the threat of industrial action has helped focus the minds of ABC management, as has the outpouring of support for our members from ABC viewers and listeners,” said media director Cassie Derrick. .

‘It was a turning point to have David Anderson directly involved in the negotiations after management had been on the fence for months.

“ABC management must now begin to rebuild trust with its workforce.”