ABC management and staff representatives have reached a tentative agreement after a stand-off that resulted in the first major strike at the national broadcaster in decades.
A pay increase of 4 percent in the first year, followed by a pair of 3.25 percent rises, had been agreed, ABC management said in a staff email seen by AAP.
It is a slight increase on the ABC’s previous offer of 3.5 per cent in the first year.
But a previously proposed $1,000 (US$685) bonus has not been included.
Employees at the top end of several bands will also have the opportunity for career progression and added bonuses.
In its staff email, the ABC said the position had been endorsed by representatives for the two key employee unions.
The offer will need to go to a staff vote to be formally accepted.
In a message sent to union members on March 31, the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance offered a positive assessment of the potential deal.
“This significant improvement was won by union members walking off the job and demonstrating clearly what we are worth,” the message said.
“Because of that, we now have above inflation pay for year one on the table, real pathways for band progression, and improved reward for hard work.”
Non-media staff at the ABC are represented by the Community and Public Sector Union.
The agreement comes after employees and representatives of the media union met with ABC managing director Hugh Marks on March 30 after swathes of staff took part in the mass strike.
Negotiations reached a stalemate when workers knocked back a 10-percent pay rise over three years, pushing for 13.5 percent, and protested what they said was the ABC’s over-reliance on short-term contracts.
Mediated by the Fair Work Commission, a meeting on March 30 was the first major discussion since the strike action.
Thousands of journalists, camera operators, technicians and other ABC workers went on strike for 24 hours starting on March 25 morning, forcing the channel to broadcast re-runs, clips from BBC News and contributions from non-union staff.
More than 4,400 people work at the ABC, including 2,000 in news, the largest division.
