Comments on: Fairfax day of reckoning http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/10/09/fairfax-day-of-reckoning/ now with extra source Sat, 11 Feb 2012 22:03:37 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: JM http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/10/09/fairfax-day-of-reckoning/#comment-22468 JM Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-22468 Redundancy occurs when an employer decides that the job an employee has been doing is no longer needed. This decision is based on circumstances other than the ordinary and customary turnover of labour.<br />Therefore these positions should not be filled by leftover staff, being redeployed into positions that they may not want. If the job is TRULY REDUNTANT, there is no need for anyone to be performing that job role.<br />What Fairfax tend to do is illegal because they pay people out - Redunancy, which is taxed a special rate allowable by the Government, then expect someone else to perform that role.<br /><br /><br /> Redundancy occurs when an employer decides that the job an employee has been doing is no longer needed. This decision is based on circumstances other than the ordinary and customary turnover of labour.
Therefore these positions should not be filled by leftover staff, being redeployed into positions that they may not want. If the job is TRULY REDUNTANT, there is no need for anyone to be performing that job role.
What Fairfax tend to do is illegal because they pay people out - Redunancy, which is taxed a special rate allowable by the Government, then expect someone else to perform that role.

]]> By: Brian http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/10/09/fairfax-day-of-reckoning/#comment-22469 Brian Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-22469 The uncertain future facing Fairfax journos, particularly given the global economic outlook, is very sad but I must take issue with some of the hand-wringing commentary.<br /><br />Crikey said "the period after the redundancies will be equally disruptive when staff are redeployed, possibly against their will". Oh please. "Against their will?" Journalists should go to where the Editor thinks they will be most useful to the newspaper, not demand that they stick to their favourite little cubby hole.<br /><br />The problem with Fairfax is it has been run like a branch of the 1970s public service with staff committees, sub-committees and sub-committees of sub-committees telling management how the place must run. It is archaic and atrophied and has only survived because of the classies revenue. Those days are over.<br /><br />I think Ruralfax is somewhat brutal in its methods and I question its commitment to quality journalism but clearly the Soviet-style structure couldn't continue.<br /><br />It appears clear to me that if more writers than subs want voluntary redundancy Fairfax should let the writers go and redeploy some surplus subs back to writing duties. If it means a cut in pay for some of the subs so be it. If redeployed subs can't stand the idea of working for a living they can volunteer for redundancy or wait for the axe to descend. The uncertain future facing Fairfax journos, particularly given the global economic outlook, is very sad but I must take issue with some of the hand-wringing commentary.

Crikey said “the period after the redundancies will be equally disruptive when staff are redeployed, possibly against their will”. Oh please. “Against their will?” Journalists should go to where the Editor thinks they will be most useful to the newspaper, not demand that they stick to their favourite little cubby hole.

The problem with Fairfax is it has been run like a branch of the 1970s public service with staff committees, sub-committees and sub-committees of sub-committees telling management how the place must run. It is archaic and atrophied and has only survived because of the classies revenue. Those days are over.

I think Ruralfax is somewhat brutal in its methods and I question its commitment to quality journalism but clearly the Soviet-style structure couldn’t continue.

It appears clear to me that if more writers than subs want voluntary redundancy Fairfax should let the writers go and redeploy some surplus subs back to writing duties. If it means a cut in pay for some of the subs so be it. If redeployed subs can’t stand the idea of working for a living they can volunteer for redundancy or wait for the axe to descend.

]]>