Staff working on international programming at the ABC’s Collinswood studios in Adelaide will lose their jobs as the network responds to federal budget cuts, InDaily understands.
The union representing ABC staff said six full-time positions would go from international television production at Collinswood. InDaily understands casual and part-time jobs will also be cut.
An ABC spokesperson refused to confirm the job cuts at Collinswood, and told InDaily the network wouldn’t comment further on staff cuts because a consultation process is underway.
However, InDaily has been told by several ABC sources that the redundancies are part of the around 80 jobs cuts announced yesterday, due to the Federal Government’s decision to cancel the ABC’s Australia Network international TV contract.
The cuts raise concerns about the future of television production in Adelaide, which has been dwindling.
Meetings with news director Kate Torney and the head of international, Lynley Marshall began in Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne on Monday.
The Federal Government’s May Budget scrapped the Australia Network contract, worth over $200 million over ten years, and delivered a 1 per cent cut to the organisation overall.
The total number of redundancies remains to be finalised, as redeployment options have yet to be explored.
In ABC International, 46 jobs are going. Staff have been told the Australia Network may stop broadcasting earlier than September.
In an email to staff, ABC managing director Mark Scott told staff, “it has taken longer than expected to provide clarity for staff because of financial and logistical complications surrounding the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s exit from the AN contract.”
“Difficult decisions need to be made, with the funding envelope for international services reduced from $35 million to $15 million.”
“The ABC remains committed to fulfilling its charter by delivering a converged service for overseas audience, but this will inevitably involve changes and reduced staffing levels.”
The Community and Public Sector Union this week expressed alarm at forced sackings at the ABC.
CPSU President Michael Tull said on Monday: “The Government has put the ABC in an impossible position, however we are very disappointed that up to 80 people will be sacked. This is an appalling way to treat hardworking staff as they who won’t have a say in whether they get to keep their jobs. We don’t accept the process of forced redundancies and we believe the ABC is in breach of its industrial obligations and we are considering the next step.”
Tull said there may be more to come.
“Worse still there may be more job losses to come which will wreck morale among staff and will be bad news for Australians who expect quality services from the ABC,” Mr Tull said.
“This is all part of the Abbott Government’s plan to attack and neuter the ABC. Cutting the Australia Network on the basis that it wasn’t providing value for money was always a fig leaf. The first casualties in this Government’s war on the ABC are the staff who have less than a fortnight before they are sacked.”
A spokesperson for the the Community and Public Sector Union said the organisation was aware of six jobs had been “declared in excess” at Collinswood.
At the Federal Budget, the ABC took an initial $120 million hit to its funding over four years through a combination of a 1% efficiency dividend and the scrapping of the 10-year-long $223 million Australia Network contract. Further cuts are expected to flow from an efficiency study, to be completed in April.