The Alliance is meeting with film and television crew to discuss the improvements they want in the next Motion Picture Production Agreement (MPPA), the industry's standard agreement for film/TV technicians, which is up for review next year. To organise a meeting contact Adam (VIC) on 0415 995 745 or adam.mcconvell@alliance.org.au or Erin (NSW) on 02 9333 0979 or erin.knott@alliance.org.au This is your chance to have a say about the way you work.

Business Spectator's Robert Gottliebsen will join Margaret Simons, Michael Gawenda, Tony Wheeler, Jane Schulze, Lawrie Zion, Matthew Ricketson, Ivor Ries, Jonathan Green, and a host of international speakers at the Future of Journalism summit at the Telstra Conference Centre in Melbourne on November 26.

The Sydney Dance Company has substantially improved their offer for the new collective agreement since dancers recently threatened industrial action if they were not offered fair rates of pay and conditions that bring them in line with the rest of the live performance industry. An agreement is expected to be reached this week. For more information please contact Equity on 1300 65 65 12.

South Australian journalists, columnists, photographers, reviewers, subeditors, camera operators, artists and PR professionals are now invited to enter SA’s most prestigious journalism awards. Deadline for submissions is 10am on January 13, 2009 and entry is free for Alliance members. Click  here for more details.

The Pulitzer Prize winning executive director of Washington's J-Lab Institute, Jan Shaffer and assistant news editor at MediaGuardian.co.uk, Stephen Brook will be among a stellar line-up of speakers when the Alliance holds its next Future of Journalism in Melbourne the day before the Walkleys; Wednesday November 26. Special package deals available. For the latest program and booking details click here.

Rupert Murdoch yesterday warned of job cuts "across the board" at his Australian operations after News Corporation reported a 30 per cent drop in first quarter profit. The announcement follows persistent reports of staff freezes, cost cutting and one-off redundancy deals, which are often inferior to the redundancy provisions of the collective agreement. If you, or someone you know, is offered a redundancy package please contact the Alliance on 1300 65 65 12.

Negotiations for the News Limited agreement that covers the company's suburban papers across the country will begin in a fortnight. Members in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Adelaide are currently in the process of endorsing the log of claims. Enquiries to Claire claire.orourke@alliance.org.au

ABC members at all sites will be asked to vote to extend the ABC agreement for 12 months (April 1, 2009 to March 31, 2010) in exchange for a wage increase of 4%. The acceptance of this offer is on basis that the ABC enters into formal negotiations on work level standards, role templates ( ie grading of jobs) and performance management before the end of this year, and an expectation that if inflation exceeds 4% during the period the amount will be topped up.