ABC stands down production manager
A senior production manager at ABC News Hobart has been stood down after again complaining in a group email.
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A senior production manager at ABC News Hobart has been stood down after again complaining about ABC employee relations and salaries.
Ross James sent a group email to ABC’s news and current affairs staff complaining that some on-air staff were treated more generously than production staff.
He made similar claims in 2004 when he told management Maxine McKew was paid a corresponding amount each week via a time sheet, regardless of whether she had worked or not. James was later told his concerns were justified but there was also no suggestion McKew was paid for hours she did not work.
In 2008 he noted that foreign correspondent Peter Lloyd received ABC support during his arrest in Singapore that would not have been afforded to other staff.
Now he has accused management of “gross disloyalty” and has been fighting to have false and defamatory statements removed from his file. He has also complained about the rates at which different employees are paid, especially those in Sydney.
Following his latest email James has now been stood down by head of news in Hobart, Andrew Fisher.
An ABC spokeswoman said in a statement, “The ABC takes all workplace complaints seriously and seeks to protect the privacy and confidentiality of individuals involved in the complaints process. Therefore, the ABC will not be engaging on the issue or with Mr James in a public forum in relation to his complaints.’’
Source: The Australian, Herald Sun
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8 Responses
I think he’s a brave soul to venture into that territory on the email. When I worked there, they frowned upon group emails – for obvious logistic reasons, but this has greater implications. From my experience the production managers were the least likely to break ranks, so things must have been pretty bad to do it. That said, it is a no-brainer that on air talent get considerably better treatment – it is the same the world over, public broadcaster or private enterprise. The same rules do not apply between production/admin and the ‘talent’. Something else must be going on there, for him to make it so out in the open.
@ Stan I agree with you. Production staff in Television around the country can easily earn less then a laborour. To earn more money they have to leave their field to seek higher paid managerial positions usually in other industries. Shame really. To all who have commented that he should not have sent this email, It is none of your business on how he aired it except the ABC’s. At least someone ihas the gumption to actually say something.
like any job, why would you still be complaining about your lousy salary and employer after 7 years ? If you are not happy in a job, just leave.
Most big companies have strict rules and policies on using group email lists. This wouldn’t have been the appropriate forum to raise his concerns.
Typical ABC staff. Think they own the place.
Was that irony?
Phoenix727, I wouldn’t call a group email to other ABC News staff a “public forum.” Sounds like this chap has made some very vaild criticisms & in the process pushed a few buttons with management. With the number of non-Sydney news staff given the boot in the last five years, I’m sure his replacement will be the computer he wrote the email on.
He might have a point, but there are times and places for these things to be raised. The public forum where people who don’t understand the situation can make stupid assumptions which in the end hurt the image of the public broadcaster whether they’re right or not.