MEAA members at SBS have rejected an enterprise agreement offer proposed by management that failed to include a fair pay rise or adequate protections around the use of artificial intelligence - their first no vote in more than a decade.
The vote follows ABC's rejection of a similarly unfair offer last month and means media workers at both public broadcasters are considering options to secure a better deal, including protected action early next year.
SBS staff had been calling for a fair pay rise, measures to address unsafe overtime practices and extreme fatigue, meaningful protections around the use of AI, and respect for the MEAA Code of Ethics.
SBS management put forward a below-inflation pay rise of 3% per year and offered a limited AI clause compensating for voice cloning but no guarantee of human jobs or oversight of content produced.
The months-long bargaining process had been marred by increasingly hostile tactics from management, including the removal of union material from desks and noticeboards, threats to activists and surveillance of union organisers.
MEAA members were also disappointed by management's tone-deaf decision to try to secure votes by giving out KitKats (whose advertising slogan is "have a break"), while failing to address staff fatigue claims.
Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance Chief Executive Erin Madeley congratulated members for standing up for their rights as workers and in the interests of the public broadcaster.
"I am so proud of our members, who have been incredibly brave standing up in the face of management's hostile and tone-deaf tactics throughout the course of bargaining and the ballot," Ms Madeley said.
"SBS staff deserve fair wages, safe conditions so they can do their best work, and meaningful protections to stop AI from taking jobs and eroding the high-quality journalism and content across multiple languages that audiences have come to depend on.
"MEAA members will continue to campaign for a workplace that values human expertise, upholds ethical standards, and safeguards the integrity of public broadcasting for all the communities we serve."
