Outrage as Scott Cam is flown to Paris to promote the new season of The Block leaving Nine journalists 'hot with anger' amid pays disputes and staff cuts READ MORE: Channel Nine's Olympic broadcast team attacked in Paris By Stephen Bisset For Daily Mail Australia Published: 07:21 BST, 26 July 2024 | Updated: 07:21 BST, 26 July 2024 e-mail View comments Channel Nine staff have been left outraged after The Block star Scott Cam was flown to Paris to promote the new season of the hit reality show during the Olympics. Cam has been drawn into a pay dispute at the network which has resulted in the majority of staff across its publishing titles, including The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and The Australian Financial Review, walk off the job on Friday. The strike action comes after an improved pay offer was rejected on Thursday night.
The Guardian claims the television tradie's trip was the 'final provocation for journalists contemplating strike action on the eve of the Paris Olympic Games'. Speaking to the ABC on Friday, State political reporter for The Age Broede Carmody said anger among staff was currently 'white hot'. 'We're seeking a fair pay rise that's in line with inflation .
Quarterly inflation has been hovering around 4 percent and the company is only offering 3.4 per cent..
.It's just not good enough.' Broede added that Cam's Paris trip added insult to injury after a recent announcement of 200 job cuts, and up to 90 in its publishing division, across the company.
'How many jobs at Nine Publishing could've been saved if TV personalities with nothing to do with the Olympics weren't going to bed right now in luxury hotels in Paris,' he said. Channel Nine staff have been left outraged after The Block star Scott Cam was flown to Paris to promote the new season of the hit reality show during the Olympics A spokesperson for Channel Nine confirmed Cam's Paris jaunt to Daily Mail Australia. 'It’s on the record that Scott Cam will be in Paris as The Block launches straight after the Olympics,' the spokesperson said.
'So he is there for work purposes to promote the 20th anniversary of the series.' Read More Why hundreds of Nine journalists have walked off the job on the eve of the Paris Olympics Broede added news of Scott Cam's Paris trip was the latest in a series of moves that had angered staff. 'The anger is white hot right now and it's not just because of one particular incident,' he said.
Journalists at Nine Publishing began a five-day strike on Friday after rejecting a revised enterprise bargaining offer . The television tradie has been flown to Paris to promote the new season of The Block, which The Guardian claimed was the 'final provocation' for journalists at Nine contemplating strike action on the eve of the Paris Olympic Games 'Journalists at Nine Publishing are being asked to do more for less,' said the acting Director of Media Entertainment & Arts Alliance (MEAA) Michelle Rae in a statement. Michelle also took a swipe at Nine boss Mike Sneesby, who is currently in Paris taking part in the Olympic torch relay.
'It is extra galling to our members that while they are attempting to negotiate a new enterprise agreement and dealing with the stress of redundancies in an Australian winter, managing director Mike Sneesby, is enjoying sunny France as he takes part in the Olympic torch relay,' she said. 'Our members have a simple message to Mr Sneesby: get your priorities right and don’t torch journalism.' The strike begins hours before the Games' opening ceremony on Friday night.
Nine owns the exclusive broadcast rights for the world's biggest sporting event as part of a $305million deal that's extended to the 2032 Games in Brisbane. Nine boss Mike Sneesby has also been criticised for being in Paris as a pay dispute at the network which has resulted in the majority of staff across its publishing titles, including The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and The Australian Financial Review, walk off the job on Friday Around 200 job are expected to be slashed from the nationwide team of 5,000 staff as part of a $30million cost-cutting plan for the business. The job cuts will also include the loss of 90 positions, which are set to be eliminated from company's publishing division.
The redundancies will effect roles at The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, and The Australian Financial Review. The job cuts will also effect 38 positions in the high-profile news and current affairs broadcast team, which encompasses Nine News and 60 Minutes. The Block Olympics Share or comment on this article: Outrage as Scott Cam is flown to Paris to promote the new season of The Block leaving Nine journalists 'hot with anger' amid pays disputes and staff cuts e-mail Add comment.
