The Age is reporting that the ABC has offered hundreds of permanent roles to casual staff even as it prepares to make more than 200 staff redundant because of a budget freeze imposed by the Morrison government.
The positions have been offered as the ABC moves toward unveiling its five-year strategic plan, which could be as early as tomorrow.
Just last week the broadcaster entered an Enforceable Undertaking with the Fair Work Ombudsman, to pay back over $12 million in backpay and penalties to more than 1,800 current and former casual staff.
According to The Age, Community and Public Sector Union’s ABC section secretary Sinddy Ealy said many of the casuals have been offered permanent positions because they had been working regular shifts over long periods, unlike the irregular employment that casual work is intended for.
Ms Ealy, who represents non-journalist staff at the broadcaster, said the ABC was caught between a “rock and a hard place” on staffing when its funding was declining.
Already ABC staff were told earlier this month that budget cuts mean that at least 200 jobs will go in an email from an email from Managing Director, David Anderson, asking staff to volunteer for redundancies.
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