Politics · Australia · 42 mins ago
ABC union challenges possible discipline of senior journalist
Michael Slezak, a senior ABC journalist and federal president of the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance, wrote an opinion piece for the Australian Financial Review.
It opposed proposed changes that would limit public access to information about company directors.
ABC news chief Simon Robinson and news boss Lee Glendinning raised concerns that the piece may have breached the broadcaster’s rules on outside work and conduct.
The union says Slezak had a written agreement allowing him to comment publicly in his role with the union.
It says the possibility of discipline is an attack on press freedom and on union representatives’ ability to speak for staff.
The dispute comes after a tense year of negotiations between ABC management and unionised staff, which included the broadcaster’s first strike in two decades.
The union has called a members’ meeting for Tuesday and is asking ABC management to rule out action against Slezak.
The ABC’s head of news, Simon Robinson, raised concerns about senior journalist Michael Slezak’s conduct and did not rule out disciplinary action or dismissal.
The ABC union committee says the threat is an attack on press freedom and has called for management to rule out action.
The concerns relate to an article Slezak wrote for the Australian Financial Review opposing proposed limits on public information about company directors.
Slezak is also the federal president of the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance.
The union says Slezak had a prior written agreement allowing him to make public comments in his union role.
- Who
- Michael Slezak, an ABC senior journalist and union representative, and ABC head of news Simon Robinson.
- What
- Robinson raised concerns about Slezak’s conduct and the possibility of disciplinary action. The union says this threatens press freedom.
- When
- The article was published the previous Monday; Robinson met Slezak last week. The union called an urgent meeting on Monday and a members’ meeting for Tuesday.
- Where
- At the ABC in Australia; the article at issue appeared in the Australian Financial Review.
- Why
- ABC managers said Slezak may have breached the broadcaster’s external work policy and code of conduct. The union says his article and advocacy were permitted under a prior agreement.
ABC management
ABC union committee
Policy compliance
ABC management
Robinson and Lee Glendinning said Slezak may have breached the ABC’s external work policy and code of conduct.
ABC union committee
The union says Slezak had a prior written agreement permitting public comment in his union role.
Disciplinary action
ABC management
Robinson and Glendinning did not rule out disciplinary action or dismissal.
ABC union committee
The union calls for management to rule out action against Slezak.
Press freedom
ABC management
Management raised concerns about Slezak’s conduct over his article.
ABC union committee
The union says targeting him for the article is an attack on press freedom and union representation.
The ABC cannot publicly champion press freedom while privately targeting a national union representative for doing the same thing.
Our union representatives are elected to advocate for us. They cannot do their jobs if they are only permitted to say things with which their employers agree.
shield
Slezak’s article opposing proposed limits on public information about company directors was published by the Australian Financial Review.
Robinson called Slezak into a meeting to raise concerns about his conduct.
The ABC union committee called an urgent meeting for its members and said Slezak had been threatened with disciplinary action.
The union scheduled a meeting of its members.
- ABC head of news
- Simon Robinson
- Journalist
- Michael Slezak, also federal president of the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance
- Article outlet
- The Australian Financial Review
- Issue in article
- Proposed limits on public information about company directors
- Union meeting
- Members’ meeting called for Tuesday
Sources
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