Staff at the ABC in Melbourne are still simmering with resentment at the ban on toasters at the broadcaster’s fancy new building, with more than 30 staff banding together to make a video about the appliances. In May, Crikey reported staff at Aunty were in uproar at the war against warm bread, but until now the issue has been lukewarm. In a video shown at the ABC’s Christmas party this week, big names like Fran Kelly, Barrie Cassidy, Michael Rowland, Virginia Trioli and Tamara Oudyn featured in a covert mission to allow staff to enjoy the crunch of some perfectly toasted Tip Top.
The video, set to the Mission Impossible theme, features a smuggled toaster supplying staff with crunchy contraband, hidden in vending machines and in tape decks and hastily consumed. It took about three days to make. Ms Tips understands that since the move to temporary offices in the new building, staff asked for the toaster situation to be addressed, to no avail. Since then staff have been using a sandwich press in an attempt to make their breakfast, which sounds thoroughly depressing and possibly even more dangerous. The hilarious video could be the catalyst for the staff to rise up (now they have some yeast in them) and reclaim their toast rights.
Instead of wasting three days making a video, why not just bring in their own toasters and dare management to sack them for it?
I am paying their wages.
Really Alan? And you demand a ban on toast too? Last time I checked I paid taxes that were distributed to various government functions including a tiny fraction to the ABC. I don’t pay the wages of ABC staff. I pay taxes, and manage the ABC’s employees only through the exercise of my periodic franchise. My right to demand toaster or no toaster is a mere crumb to Ms Guthrie and the ABC board’s banquet of management responsibility. If they want to use their spare time to make a fun video, go for it. They have the skills and they want breakfast. (If I got up at 3.00am I’d want toast too.)
But seriously Michelle Guthrie and her dislike of things left and toast … Surely she should fetch the famous $6000 toaster of Kelly O’Dwyer’s dreams (on ABC Q&A no less).
I assume Alan means as a tax payer. Under this criterion they are actually paying their own wages