Guardian Australia journalists threaten to strike over pay talks

Staff at The guardThe Australian branch of has voted in favour of protected strikes after negotiations with management over the latest wage deal stalled.

The 140 employees, the vast majority of whom are union members, voted overwhelmingly in favor of a vote on protected actions Tuesday afternoon, arguing that the current management deal does not guarantee a sustainable future for journalism at the publication.

The vote allows employees to vote on actions ranging from talking openly about the company and adding union signatures to their emails to walking off the job.

Union workers at Nine’s printing plants, including The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald And The Australian Financial Reviewwalked away from a dispute over their three-year salary agreement for five days in July.

An improved offer was accepted a few hours after the journalists returned to work.

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While The guardThe negotiations also revolve around a three-year deal, while at Nine the financial details of the deal are not the biggest stumbling block for staff.

The journalists’ union MEAA said the key issues for workers at The guard aimed at aligning redundancy arrangements with industry standards and introducing freelancer provisions, performance rights and diversity clauses.

The vote reflects a shared sense that staff feel disrespected by management during negotiations so far, a union representative said.