FED: Fairfax workers to return to work tomorrow

AAP General News (Australia)
08-31-2008
FED: Fairfax workers to return to work tomorrow

MELBOURNE, Aug 31 AAP - Striking Fairfax Media journalists in Victoria and NSW will
return to work tomorrow after an agreement was reached to end the standoff between staff
and management.

At union meetings held in Sydney, Melbourne, Newcastle, Wollongong and Canberra today,
journalists resolved to return to work tomorrow morning, as agreed last week.

Staff and management have been locked in an industrial dispute since last week, over
pay negotiations and job cuts.

Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) spokesman Mike Dobbie said union members
today heard details of revisions to the company's enterprise bargaining agreement (EBA).

"They have all resolved, as they did back on Thursday, to return to work tomorrow commencing
at first shift Monday morning," he said.

"We await to see the formal offer for an EBA."

Mr Dobbie said the company had withdrawn threats to lock out members and to sue the
union and individuals for damages arising from the strike action.

Fairfax Media chief executive David Kirk did not deny the threats had been made.

"It is true to say we reserved all our rights legally and, while no final decisions
have been taken, we would clearly have acted in what we thought were in the best interests
of the mastheads and of the business as the situation evolved."

He said an in-principle agreement had been reached with union members at today's meetings
after minor adjustments were made to the EBA.

"All four of those meetings have voted overwhelming to accept the proposed EBA and
that will need to be formalised by a full vote of members during the week.

"Pending that, everyone will be back to work tomorrow morning and it will be business as usual."

AAP md/srp/cdh

KEYWORD: FAIRFAX RETURN

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