Australian TV Strike Looms

Mere months after a potentially crippling strike was averted in America’s television industry, Australia is facing a similar action by the nation’s actor’s union, which has been embroiled in a pay dispute with broadcast networks for the better part of a year. At issue are the wages of Australian actors, who the union claims earn less than the national salary average even if they have a starring role on a hit show. Next week’s scheduled walkout is scheduled to last only a day, but the union is prepared to go farther, with television producers threatening that such action could result in popular TV shows being pulled off the air for good.