Newsagents in South Australian have organised for themselves a meeting this Friday, December 18 between 2pm and 5pm, to discuss the News Ltd distribution and retail contracts. Click here for a copy of the flyer announcing the meeting and detailing concerns expressed by newsagents in relation to the contracts.
Speaking at this important meeting, in addition to newsagents, will be:
- Professor Frank Zumbo from the University of NSW. Frank is a highly regarded expert in the field of the excessive power of big business. He has donated his time for this meeting to help newsagents.
- There will be an Adelaide based lawyer who specialises in contract law.
- Mr John Darley, an independent member of the Legislative Council.
- Mr Robert Brockenshire Family First member of the Legislative Council.
- Mr Steve Georganis, Federal Labor MP for Hindmarsh has also been invited.
Newsagents in other states ought to consider attending this meeting. While the South Australian situation is different to the Eastern States, many consider it to be the trial location for a new distribution model.
News Ltd has had some time to work through its various state based publishing businesses to develop the new contracts and to consider what the future of newspaper distribution may look like. Newsagents have not had such an opportunity. Hence the importance of this newsagent well organised meeting. I hope that News Ltd does not make any moves to block the meeting.
Many newsagents attending have already been deeply engaged in this matter thanks to the newsagent-led action in SA. They are handing out questionnaires to customers, talking with members of parliament, gaining media coverage and talking with fellow newsagents. The meeting is likely to provide an update on this considerable ground level work.
I am grateful to the organisers for passing on details so that I may promote the meeting at this blog. I am hoping to be there as well.
You can read some more about activity by newsagents in SA on this by clicking here.
This is healthy discussion.
In fact it is what all State associations should have done in the first place.
There is no room now in future for State association Directors ( who are Newsagents anyway) to carry the mantle for such an important matter that affects the ongoing livlehood of Newsagents.
I applaud the initiative and await the responses.
Please keep us posted on how this meeting goes. We in the east are relying on sa newsagents to make progress on this for all of us.