ABC boss faces off with union over pay dispute deadlock

ABC staff have refused to rule out future industrial action as the union attempts to reinvigorate pay discussions following a historic strike.. Employees and representatives of the media union are meeting face-to-face with ABC managing director Hugh Marks on Monday after swathes of staff took part in the national broadcaster's first major strike in two decades.. Negotiations reached a stalemate when workers knocked back a 10-per-cent pay rise over three years, pushing for 13.5 per cent, and protested what they say is the ABC's over-reliance on short-term contracts..

But the union hopes the aftermath of the industrial action can help revitalise talks.. "We're very positive about today and we hope it's a step in the right direction," Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance director Cassie Derrick told reporters.. "We're very close already and we're looking to get this moving." Mr Marks told reporters "we'll see how this goes" as he walked past them into Monday's mediation meeting at the Fair Work Commission..

That followed earlier comments in which he recognised staff had some "pretty poor experiences" at the broadcaster.. "We have a model that rewards people based more on tenure than on demonstration of excellence," Mr Marks told The Australian.. "I would like to move more to a model that rewards people based on outcomes, particularly some of our junior staff." He has continued to defend the ABC's pay offer as "fair and reasonable" and said anything more could potentially compromise services to audiences..

Media union federal president and ABC environment reporter Michael Slezak said he did not think Mr Marks' comments were helpful he remained open to future possibilities.. "We're here with a really positive mindset to try to get something done," he told reporters.. "We're working through the options at the moment but we're not ruling anything in or out at this stage..

"It depends where things go and what members want to do." Thousands of journalists, camera operators, technicians and other ABC workers went on strike for 24 hours from last Wednesday, forcing the channel to broadcast re-runs, clips from BBC News, and contributions from non-union staff.. More than 4400 people work at the ABC, including 2000 in news, the largest division.. Australian Associated Press.