Hundreds of newspaper journalists of Australian commercial media outlet Nine began its nationwide five-day strike Friday morning local time (July 26) to oppose a pay offer from company management. 

Public broadcaster ABC reported that staff from newspapers like The Age, the Sydney Morning Herald, The Australian Financial Review, the Brisbane Times, and Watoday began rallies outside their Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, and Perth offices. 

Striking staff in those offices held placards and wore shirts saying "Don't Torch Journalism," with references to the upcoming Paris Olympics.

There were even reports of union members being locked out of Nine newspapers headquarters in Melbourne.

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Nine's Payment, Workplace Woes

The Daily Aus reported that Nine's staff have been in months-long negotiations with Nine executives to secure a pay deal slightly higher than inflation, with unions saying that it was necessary after they agreed to a pay freeze during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

But such talks were to no avail.

To make matters worse, rival commercial media firm Seven West Media, has cut around 200 jobs last month, with worries of similar cuts for Nine.

Striking staffers have also been fighting to improve diversity, provide safeguards on the use of artificial intelligence (AI), and a better deal for freelancers which would include paying superannuation and a transparent pay system. 

The Age investigative journalist Nick McKenzie told the ABC that the staff were asking to make their already difficult job easier, saying that they were asking for "some support from management" in what they do.

However, a Nine spokesperson called the industrial action by its staff "disappointing" as the strike coincided with its Olympics coverage, of which it was the official broadcaster for Australia. 

Meanwhile, CEO Mike Sneesby also echoed the sentiment in an email, saying that the company has been "preparing" for what it said was a "prolonged" industrial action.

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