James Spigelman tells the government to back down after accusing a broadcaster of violating public service contract norms under a financial crunch.
‘Every time we tell the ABC to tighten its belt, they say Peppa Pig needs to go off television, but when it comes to these types of agreements, they seem to be able to find the money,’ Scott Morrison said of the ABC’s wage contract, which promises 5,000 workers a 2% pay boost each year over three years. five photographs
The ABC’s chairman, James Spigelman, has upped the ante with the Turnbull government, stating that recent criticism of the corporation’s collective bargaining agreement is “a fundamental assault to the ABC’s independence.”
Spigelman wrote to the public service commissioner, John Lloyd, on Wednesday, advising him to refrain from commenting on the ABC enterprise agreement.
Lloyd has accused the national broadcaster of violating collective bargaining standards at a time when the federal budget cannot afford large wage raises.
“Your assertion of authority to control the ABC’s internal staffing policies, potentially in any aspect of the broad powers conferred on you by the Public Service Act, is a fundamental challenge to the ABC’s independence from government interference,” Spigelman wrote to Lloyd in a letter obtained by Guardian Australia.
In addition to Lloyd’s criticism, three top ministers have openly praised the ABC’s compensation package. Mitch Fifield, the Communications Minister, and Michaelia Cash, the Workplace Minister, have both written to the broadcaster’s board, demanding an explanation for the “generous” deal.
Fifield has stated that the agreement is more generous than that granted to SBS staff, and that there would be no additional funding to finance it.
Scott Morrison, the Treasurer, has also criticised the accord.
“What I find odd about this is that every time we advise the ABC to tighten its belt, they say Peppa Pig needs to go off broadcast,” Morrison remarked.
The ABC’s new pay agreement provides a 2% wage increase each year over three years to the broadcaster’s 5,000 employees. It also includes a $500 one-time payout, back pay, and improved working conditions, such as seven days of domestic violence leave and increased maternity and spousal leave.
According to the ABC, the deal also includes efficiency improvements such as roster modifications, a reduction in the minimum call-out time for casuals, and a simpler approach for monitoring bad performance.
Lloyd claims that the ABC is subject to the 2015 Commonwealth workplace bargaining policy and is in violation of it.
Spigelman, on the other hand, strongly disagrees.
The ABC chairman claims that “no legitimate basis for this assumption has ever been identified in any relevant communication from the Commonwealth government to the ABC.”
“The ABC board believes that there is no legal duty to cooperate in this regard.”
The chairman states that the ABC is aware of and has been notified of government policy, and that the broadcaster is required by law to “examine” that policy.
“The ABC has given such thought,” the chairman remarks.
“At all times during the negotiation process for a new enterprise agreement, the ABC sought a settlement that is fair and reasonable for employees while remaining consistent with the board’s responsibility to produce an efficient, effective, and independent national broadcaster.”
